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Solved :USB Boot not showing in Thinkpad e14

As the title says, my bootable usb is not showing up in the boot menu for my ThinkPad e14 AMD ryzen 5 7530u , gen 5 I think. I have disabled secure boot in the uefi and disabled fast startup in windows. Am I missing anything ? Note: this is my first time using a uefi bios so I don’t know if there are any other kinks to mess with .

Edit : I contacted lenovo support for the above issue but even they couldn’t find the answer so I guess won’t be using linux for this laptop. But since it’s for uni I guess it’s fine. I will just use WSL

Edit 2: Reinstalled the bios , the usb boots now . Finally slapped opensuse on it and now running it

MyNameIsRichard ,
@MyNameIsRichard@lemmy.ml avatar

Some uefi set ups have usb boot disabled by default. It may be worth having a poke around and seeing if yours does.

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

i enabled it to the boot order but the laptop is not picking it up

MyNameIsRichard ,
@MyNameIsRichard@lemmy.ml avatar

The only other thing I can think of is, are you absolutely sure the key is the right type, efi or mbr, depending on how you’re booting?

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

It’s gpt due to the disk management, I went with it.

biscuitswalrus ,

I suggest a few more things:

Try a different brand usb. Different motherboards sometimes don’t support some usb brands. In fact, a Lenovo server I rebuilt refused to boot off certain usbs.

Some motherboards don’t initialise boot off some usb ports. Sometimes the additional ports are on another controller and initialise too slow.

Just try a straight working Ubuntu live boot usb to remove any ventoy from equation. Ubuntu has real signed uefi (and no shim) granted by Microsoft. I think that’s how it works, uefi is a mess.

Try to start isolating all the different factors, and there could be more. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything definitive if it works on another machine.

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

Tried right now with a SanDisk with just Ubuntu using Rufus but that also does not show up

biscuitswalrus ,

And you probably confirmed that live boot worked too I assume.

In the actual bios, can you see a boot order and see uefi for Windows/whatever is on your internal disk? But not any other entries?

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

I can see the windows boot manager, the nvme sdd and pxe boot thats it

biscuitswalrus ,

Other then legacy and uefi does it have a CSM compatibility support mode? An option to enable usb initialisation before bios? Eg wait for usb initialisation?

Some “boot faster” options kind of reorder boot initialisation to a point where it’s not holding the system back.

Though I’m really running out of suggestions… I can imagine you’re pretty frustrated. I know my Dell laptop was a pain to get the right settings to get usb to boot and the stupid 100db beep to silent on boot interruption.

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

No options for csm , no usb initialisation as well

data1701d ,
@data1701d@startrek.website avatar

I have basically the same laptop (it’s an E16, but with the same CPU - it’s just the 16-inch version of your laptop). Make sure you press enter, press F1 to go into BIOS, then go into Security > Secure Boot and enable “Allow Microsoft 3rd Party CA”. That worked like a charm for me.

If you’re still having problems, try writing down the steps you have taken (down to the key combinations; some pictures would be nice as well). I should have all the same settings menus.

Don’t worry, though, you’ve made a good choice; I’ve been loving my Thinkpad E16.

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

I tried that as well the thing is the usb does not show up in the menu

data1701d ,
@data1701d@startrek.website avatar

Weird. What distro is on it, what program did you flash it with, and does it show up in the file manager on another machine?

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

The first was the ventoy one with mbr which I was fine other machines I have used it before with. It had like endeavour os , opensuse, pop os , linux mint windows 11 etc…

But I also reformatted it with windows 11 from meda creation tool as well to check but that also doesnt work which is the most strangest part

data1701d ,
@data1701d@startrek.website avatar

Could MBR be your problem somehow? Maybe it needs to be a GPT table instead.

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

In the top comment you could see I tried reformatting with gpt as well that was also not working

data1701d ,
@data1701d@startrek.website avatar

Could you record a video showing the steps you take to try to boot the USB?

Also, maybe pictures of any BIOS settings. I want to see if I can replicate the problem on my laptop.

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

https://programming.dev/pictrs/image/28077f3a-1ad5-4c27-a9ff-c91bbc25ca3e.jpeghttps://programming.dev/pictrs/image/3fece967-0061-4041-9b1d-df8df4f9ebda.jpeghttps://programming.dev/pictrs/image/c07c83de-5082-4995-a748-93576c600909.jpeghttps://programming.dev/pictrs/image/0dc94144-2588-4172-bca9-f6de59505951.jpeg

TechAdmin ,

On ‘Startup’ section, what options are available for ‘Boot Mode’ ? May want to try using something other than Quick during OS install. Should be able to change it back afterwards for faster boots.

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

Tried that as well no luck

data1701d ,
@data1701d@startrek.website avatar

These settings seem exactly the same as mine in all significant ways. Can you show me a picture of Config > USB?

Also, what’s the partitioning on your laptop like? Have you actually set up Windows, or have you just left it in OOBE mode for now? On my E16, I just put in a second drive and haven’t even touched Windows yet.

Also, when I get time today, I might try replicating your steps with Ventoy to see what happens. Have you just tried straightup flashing an image? (If you haven’t, probably try something like OpenSUSE or Debian, which tend to have better EFI support on their installers.)

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

I have completed the windows setup with the usual 3 partition and I used Ubuntu as well but booting is not the problem, the bios just doesn’t seem to pick up the pendrive

data1701d ,
@data1701d@startrek.website avatar

Okay. What does your Config > USB look like?

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

Power through usb and the same on battery

data1701d ,
@data1701d@startrek.website avatar

Have you tried completely resetting all BIOS settings?

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

Factory defaults tried that

data1701d ,
@data1701d@startrek.website avatar

The last thing I would try is seeing if you can update/revert the firmware on this thing.

If not, then I think I might be out of ideas unless you happen to have a KVM switch that can stream over le intwerbz.

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

How do you reset the firmware ?

data1701d ,
@data1701d@startrek.website avatar

That’s something you’ll have to Google, but there should be a tool in Windows (you might have to install it from OEM website if you’ve reinstalled to debloat).

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

Tried that as well but that as well uses usb boot so that is also net detecting

data1701d ,
@data1701d@startrek.website avatar

What about this process: …lenovo.com/…/ht500008-how-to-update-system-bios-…

See “Updating the BIOS from Windows”. It’s not your exact model, but the process should be the se.

jjlinux ,
@jjlinux@lemmy.ml avatar

Can you try Boot mode on anything other than “quick”, and then F12 during boot see if that works?

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

The only other option is diagnostics that also doesnt work

jjlinux ,
@jjlinux@lemmy.ml avatar

I’m sorry you’re going through that bud. I’m flat out of tricks.

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

Same I have already given up on it as well

lurch ,

did you try and press F1 at the logo screen after power on and adjust settings in the UEFI BIOS Config, Security and Startup menus?

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

Only disabled secure boot and tried enabled secure boot with 3rd party Microsoft ca

lurch ,

You should try enabling the options in:

  • Startup>Boot>Boot device List F12 Option (most important)
  • Config>USB (may be only for charging, but may also help)
  • Security>I/O Port Access>USB Port (may be only for keyboard/mouse, but not clear)

and disable:

  • Startup>Boot>Boot Order Lock (imporrant)

then Restart>Exit Saving Changes and press F12 furiously during next boot (as i don’t know when exactly) and select USB.

source: https://download.lenovo.com/bsco/index.html

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

This what occurs https://programming.dev/pictrs/image/dea6f5fd-eb88-4c09-8215-ac546ca9db6a.jpeg

lurch ,

No idea. The USB should be in there. Can you look onto the USB from Windows? (but don’t change anything on it) Maybe the port doesn’t work properly.

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

The usb port is working fine for normal transfers . The bios just doesn’t wanna pick it . I tried with a friends hp laptop it works fine on his.

just_another_person ,

What’s on the USB? Are you sure it’s properly formatted for EFI booting? Did you make sure it it’s actually working when plugged in on another machine?

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

I tried ventoy with mbr then ventoy with gpt then balenaetcher and Rufus with gpt and then finally a windows usb through the media creation tool. None of them worked. It’s fine with my old laptop but since it was a legacy boot I am not so sure.

just_another_person ,

Sounds like a BIOS config issue, or the USB ports are dead then.

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

Can usb ports die if you can transfer files through it ?. The bios is also what I thought so iam lost with that.

just_another_person ,

If you used THESE exact USB ports to create this disk, then you have a BIOS issue. If you’re saying the BIOS doesn’t show a USB device as connected when you go in there to check, then yes, the USB ports are not working.

From your responses, I’m guessing you’re just not familiar with the technical portions of the BIOS settings, or maybe not about compatible partitioning. But if you’re saying these USB ports work fine when you boot an OS, and then you transfer files, AND you created these disks to be bootable…then this is a YOU problem.

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

Not with a uefi one , a legacy one I never had to care about since mbr would only work. And I created the ventoy mbr on the old laptop, and if that doesn’t show up means it is strange . Though one more thing I found odd was the efi partition does not show up on the file explorer in the new laptop but shows up on the old one.

just_another_person ,

I’m seeing plenty of other people out there saying that on this very specific model, disabling secure boot was the fix. Maybe also try a different USB drive.

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

Tried with a SanDisk and that also doesnt work

data1701d ,
@data1701d@startrek.website avatar

I have almost the same model (it’s basically just the 16" version) and I can boot a USB just fine under secure boot.

data1701d ,
@data1701d@startrek.website avatar

This seems like a very recent laptop.

Dotdev OP ,
@Dotdev@programming.dev avatar

I just got it this monday

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