Hopefully this is the right forum.

My tale of woe is this: Years ago I put a version of Linux Mint onto an old Vista box. It ran beautifully until now when said box just plain croaked. I obtained the latest version of Mint with the idea of installing it again. However, by this point I couldn't even get to the boot menu. The box is dead.

Currently I have a HP Laptop that came with Windows 10 installed. With every update it gets slower and slower. I want to replace it with Mint and get rid of Windows entirely.

However, I understand that newer Windows boxes won't allow themselves to be replaced with other operating systems. I also understand that this feature can be disabled, I just don't know how to do it.

I've already got a 32-bit version of Mint on a USB stick. I probably need the 64-bit version.

My laptop is a HP15 Notebook PC
Processor - AMD A6-5200 APU
Graphics - 2.00 GHz
RAM - 4GB
It is a 64-bit machine with about 447 GB of storage

Sooo...how can I get into the boot menu on this machine? Will I be able to replace Windows at that point?

I appreciate all help and advice. Thanks!

With HP, you probably need to access the BIOS by hitting the Esc key on boot. You should see a message in the lower left of the window indicating that. You can then hit the F10 key to access the BIOS and change the boot order to the DVD or USB you are booting from. Step by step instructions on dual booting Mint with windows 10 UEFI (UEFI install is the default for windows 10) at the links below. You should disable fastboot and anything related to hibernation before beginning and shrink your windows partition from the windows Disk Management tool. Best to use the manual installation type method which is called Something Else.

https://www.tecmint.com/install-linu...oot-uefi-mode/

https://itsfoss.com/guide-install-li...-boot-windows/

2 members found this post helpful.

Thank you, yancek, for answering so quickly. Once I disable fastboot and the rest, I should be able to install Mint, yes? For me the plan is to remove all traces of Windows and never look back. There is nothing in Windows that I need or want that Mint can't do faster and better.

Thank you so much for your help.

Every time I've wanted to replace windows, I've only had to boot to an installation disc (as yancek has already discussed) and allowed the install process to reformat and repartition the heard drive.
Boom. No more windows. I'm not sure where you got the idea that a 'puter running windows was somehow protected from being overwritten.

In fact, I once was trying to build a dual-boot on my Dell laptop and answered a question the wrong way...no more windows. Oops!

Back in the day, one had to give partitioning instructions during the install. Of late, I believe the installations have a default partitioning setup they'll use.

At some point in the installation, you should get a message to the effect that "This will destroy all data on the drive!!" Answer yes to that and you'll have no more windows.

Edit: some of yancek's excellent instruction was to help you with dual-booting windows and mint. I'm reading your OP that you don't want to dual-boot, so some of what they said doesn't apply if that's the case.

1 members found this post helpful.

Thanks, Sean!

That's how I got rid of Vista, without meaning to. I did not cry. Instead a once buggy machine now ran beautifully. I hope that's what happens this time except I mean to do it.

You will need that 64 bit iso - the 32-bit will install and run, but won't be supported much longer, and will run like a lame dog.
Run the iso in liveCD mode and check everything works - network (especially wifi), video that sort of thing.
FWIW I always leave Win there so I can run things like my logitek remote software updater when I buy new a/v kit for the house. For the rest of the time it just takes up disk space.

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...just need to do the deed. Hopefully it will work with the router. I had to use an ethernet cable the last time, but this is a different box and a different era.

Windows is now gone and Mint seems to be working...including the wifi connection. I'll sign off and see if everything is still here when I come back.

Mint turned on just fine. I now have a functional Linux machine and Windows has gone bye-bye.

Thank you, everyone for all your help! I do appreciate it