[SOLVED] Dell Inspiron 15 7577 can't install Neon or Kubuntu

[wrender]

I haven't dual booted a computer since my old system 76 laptop that I had since 2008. It seem much has changed and I'm lost.
The neon live disc can't see any hd's or progress the installer to the partitioner. The kubuntu 17.10 live disc can see the 1tb secondary hd but not the primary 256 GB nve SSD.

Any help to update my knowledge set to complete the install would be appreciated.

[wrender]

All my attempts have been from following this page.

http://www.dell.com/support/article/...ell-pc?lang=en

[oshunluvr]

So, booting to the KDEneon installer, opening a terminal, and typing lsblk results in what?

[mr_raider]

Some recent laptops configure the hard disks as Intel Raid even though there is only one drive. You need to set it back to ahci mode. This might render windows unbootable.

[oshunluvr]

Some recent laptops configure the hard disks as Intel Raid even though there is only one drive. You need to set it back to ahci mode. This might render windows unbootable.

Good call. I bet you're correct. It's called "Intel Rapid Storage Technology". According to this post, it can be disabled and Windows will still work.

[wrender]

So changing the SATA setting from RAID to ACHI allowed the installer of KDE Neon to see all the drives when set to manual Partition mode. However before installing it when I try to boot to windows it doesn't seem to like it and can't boot into the windows environment and eventually asks if it one wants to re install the os.

neon@neon:~$ lsblk
NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
sr0 11:0 1 1.8G 0 rom /cdrom
loop0 7:0 0 1.7G 1 loop /rofs
sda 8:0 0 931.5G 0 disk
├─sda2 8:2 0 931.4G 0 part
└─sda1 8:1 0 128M 0 part
nvme0n1 259:0 0 238.5G 0 disk
├─nvme0n1p5 259:5 0 13.5G 0 part
├─nvme0n1p3 259:3 0 222.5G 0 part
├─nvme0n1p1 259:1 0 500M 0 part
├─nvme0n1p6 259:6 0 1.1G 0 part
├─nvme0n1p4 259:4 0 839M 0 part
└─nvme0n1p2 259:2 0 128M 0 part

[mr_raider]

My suggestion is to go back into windows in raid mode. Activate windows and link it your Microsoft account.

Then download a windows 10 usb image. Wipe everything a do a new reinstall in ahci mode. You then get to decide if you want Linux on the name drive or 1tb drive.

Nvme raid is useless in a single device configuration.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

[wrender]

When I first got the laptop last week, I booted windows let it fully update everything and then made a Windows 10 recovery USB stick.

Today I set the SATA from the default RAID to ACHI. Rebooted with the recovery USB stick and told it to do a full clean recovery...

Now the computer cant boot into anything even if I set the bios back to RAID. All it keeps doing is bios memory hardware checks...

Also now the usb recovery drive can't to a basic recovery, full clean recovery or factory image reinstall... El derpo.

[Snowhog]

If it's convenient, given that you got the laptop very recently; it's 'new' and under warranty; take it back and tell them to 'fix it' so it will once again boot into Windows.

[mr_raider]

Download a generic usb from Microsoft's web site and do a clean install.

Dell's recovery media is tainted by their pre loaded drivers.

[wrender]

That will be my last resort...

Right now I'm looking at the Bios/General/Boot Sequence/ tab and noticed the list is blank. Before it showed some hd path. There is a button to add boot option... Brings up a dialogue asking for a name, path and file.

I'm also downloading a windows 10 os recovery disc from Dell to see if that pans out.

[wrender]

Using the Dell recovery disc from their website brought it all back. I'll have to try again with the RAID setting turned off.

[wrender]

Using the Dell recovery disc from their site and turning RAID off worked I am now typing this from my first KDE Neon and Windows 10 dual boot!

Thanks for all the help guys I'm slowly starting to understand UEFI bios and the new beast of windoze 10 and how to dance around it.