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-   -   Windows BIOS not recognizing fedora install on usb as bootable (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/windows-bios-not-recognizing-fedora-install-on-usb-as-bootable-4175666393/)

Macky12 12-22-2019 11:54 AM
Windows BIOS not recognizing fedora install on usb as bootable
 
I am trying to install fedora on a usb stick-the actual os, not the live version. I used VirtualBox to install it. When I tried to boot it up, the BIOS would not recognise the drive. I thought at first that my install went wrong, but then I used MobaLiveCd and it booted up the disk successfully. So I am thinking that the problem is with my BIOS, not the actual install. Can anyone help me with this? I am at my wits end.

Soadyheid 12-22-2019 12:16 PM
Hi, Welcome to Linuxquestions! :)

Quote:
I am trying to install fedora on a usb stick-the actual os, not the live version. I used VirtualBox to install it.
If you used Virtualbox, the Fedora install will have been installed as a guest OS on your Windows host During your Fedora install, Virtualbox creates a virtual drive, basically a file, which lives on your host drive. It's not accessible from the BIOS.
(I'm assuming you installed Virtualbox on a Windows system, you don't mention the Host OS).

If this is the case, as mentioned, the BIOS won't see the Fedora install, only the Windows one. To boot the Fedora system you first need to boot the Window's host then start Virtualbox where you can then start the Fedora system.

Play Bonny!

:hattip:

colorpurple21859 12-22-2019 03:40 PM
If the system your trying to boot on is efi and vbox wasn't set to efi mode in machine settings or vica/versa system is legacy and the vbox was in efi mode will cause boot problems with the usb.

depending on partition setup, may be fixable without a reinstall from install iso if your comfortable with the command line.

Macky12 12-23-2019 06:30 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Soadyheid (Post 6070440)
Hi, Welcome to Linuxquestions! :)


If you used Virtualbox, the Fedora install will have been installed as a guest OS on your Windows host During your Fedora install, Virtualbox creates a virtual drive, basically a file, which lives on your host drive. It's not accessible from the BIOS.
(I'm assuming you installed Virtualbox on a Windows system, you don't mention the Host OS).

If this is the case, as mentioned, the BIOS won't see the Fedora install, only the Windows one. To boot the Fedora system you first need to boot the Window's host then start Virtualbox where you can then start the Fedora system.

Play Bonny!

:hattip:
No, I actually installed it onto the USB. I created a live instance of Fedora on a VM and then directed a live instance of fedora to intstall to disk, specifying my usb as the disk it should install onto. I haven't installed it as a guest OS

Macky12 12-23-2019 06:31 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by colorpurple21859 (Post 6070501)
If the system your trying to boot on is efi and vbox wasn't set to efi mode in machine settings or vica/versa system is legacy and the vbox was in efi mode will cause boot problems with the usb.

depending on partition setup, may be fixable without a reinstall from install iso if your comfortable with the command line.
I'll try enabling efi on the VM. I could probably enable legacy from the BIOS too.

Thanks,

ehartman 12-23-2019 07:03 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Macky12 (Post 6070632)
I'll try enabling efi on the VM. I could probably enable legacy from the BIOS too.
Test too if the BIOS allows booting FROM USB and if the partition on the USB key is marked as bootable (Linux boot loaders do not need that, BIOS does).

colorpurple21859 12-23-2019 09:19 AM
To make usb bootable in both efi and legacy mode
Make room on the usb for an efi partition, maybe take about 250M from the boot partition if you have, and format as fat32 flagged as esp/ef00. then boot into the usb,
Code:
dnf install grub2-efi-x864-modules
I think that is correct a
Code:
dnf search grub2
will give a list of grub packages that are installable.
mount the newly created efi partition to /boot/efi then run
Code:
grub2-install --target=x86_64-efi --no-nvram --removable

KenUnix 12-27-2019 10:16 PM
Does the Fedora version support UEFI ? If running Windows 10 you need that.


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