Downloading Linux onto a toshiba satellite w30dt-a-100

[EmeraldEmm]

Hey, I want to get started with linux on my first laptop, I have tried almost everything I could think of. The model of laptop seems to not recognize any boot devices, I have tried USB, the micro SD, the only thing that I can think of is removing the hard drive and downloading linux from a computer onto the drive and then putting it back in, that seems like the nuclear option, I would love if anyone experienced could lend some insight on my issue.

The BIOS does not have any UFEI setting, and EasyBCD doesn't work because of EFI being enabled.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

I had toshiba satellite long time ago and from what I recall there is option in BIOS which needs to be enabled to allow booting from USB.
I'm not 100% sure where, if and how but I know charging from USB ports is not enabled by default.

If the option is not present in BIOS then the problem might be that it's BIOS and not UEFI, but to boot Linux you need UEFI, I'm not sure if it's possible to boot from MBR flash drive.

Does you laptop have DVD rom?

 

[Brickwizard]

nothing wrong with your machine specifications
see my how do I install guide [link below] the short boot key for your machine should be F12, make sure you have disabled both windows quick start and secure boot before you start, if still having problem then test HDD for integrity

 

[Brickwizard]

Addendum, its a2014 machine so should be UEFI

 

[CaffeineAddict]

This video might help:

 

[MikeWalsh]

You don't "download Linux onto the hard drive". It doesn't work like that!

You have to download the ISO file, then "burn" the ISO to a USB stick with something like Balena Etcher or UNetBootin. This gives you what's called a "Live" version of the distro, which you can boot into first and check things out to make sure everything's working as it should.....like, can you get online? Does the mouse/touchpad work? Is the keyboard behaving itself? Will the microphone work? If you have Bluetooth, does it function? Those sorts of things.....with me so far? (In other words, check out as much of your hardware as you can...)

This doesn't affect anything on your hard drive at all. The "Live" session doesn't touch it, since it typically runs entirely in RAM for the duration.

(Not all distros provide the ability for a "Live" session, but the majority of the well-known, popular ones do.)

Once you're happy with it - IF you're happy with it! - you would then use the installer built-in to the "Live" session to actually install to hard drive.....


Mike.

 

[EmeraldEmm]

Thanks a million for the help you have all offered, I've started trying what you've said, hoping it works, I remember using UNetBootin once before, but when I tried to boot it said windows failed to start and wouldn't boot

 

[CaffeineAddict]

I remember using UNetBootin

UNetBootin was great but no longer, now it's problematic, I suggest you to use rufus to make bootable USB Linux.

 

[Condobloke]

@EmeraldEmm, you seem to be in the wars here !

Step back, take a breath, relax.....and start again with a fresh mindset.

Which distro/os do wish to install on the Tosh ?

 

[CaffeineAddict]

you seem to be in the wars here !

I have only now seen that @MikeWalsh suggested unetbootin, but my suggestion is based on my personal experience which is that unetbootin does not work on recent Windows, there are no wars.

 

[EmeraldEmm]

@EmeraldEmm, you seem to be in the wars here !

Step back, take a breath, relax.....and start again with a fresh mindset.

Which distro/os do wish to install on the Tosh ?

I was looking at Debian, my laptop runs at 1mhz, with 4GB of DDR4 ram and an AMD A4 1400

I did consider other distros but since I want to run code on it I need at least 2GB free ram to not go insane

 

[Condobloke]

Create the bootable media — Linux Mint Installation Guide documentation

linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io

There is a section there for using windows to create a bootable usb

Just yell out if there is something there you don't understand