Alienware X51 Boot from Usb issue.

@Rusty Lambda

Hello

Try hitting "ESC" just after the BIOS menu finished to load, and let me know if you see the Ubuntu installation Menu.

Have you upgraded your BIOS to A02 by the way?

@solrac135

I tried pressing ESC when I saw the "Press F2/F12 Screen," but nothing happened.

I have A02 installed by the way.

I found that changing my boot option in the BIOS from UEFI to Legacy allows me to select many more options when I'd press F12. I was able to sucessfully run the linux os from there!

Unfourtunately, when I went to install ubuntu, It didn't recognize that I had my windows 7 partition there (probably because of the switch from UEFI to Legacy), so I have to find I way to select my usb while in the UEFI boot mode.

Installing Ubuntu 12.04 on Alienware X51

1) Download 12.04 iso image file and create it with Startup Disk Manager in a USB stick (to avoid CD/DVD issues on the X51).

2) When booting, press F12 to choose boot via USB stick.

3) On the grub screen have your cursor over "Install Ubuntu", and then press "e" to activate booting options.

4) Locate where it says : "splash quiet" and change them for "nosplash noquiet" and add "nomodeset"

it will look like this at the end: "nosplash noquiet nomodeset"

5) Press F10 and start booting Linux and complete intallation process.

6) Reset your computer.

7) After the BIOS splash screen is over press "ESC"

8) Repeat operation 3 but instead of selecting "Install ubuntu" you will find your new Kernel.

9) Proceed with pressing "e" and changing the splash and quiet for "nosplash noquiet" and "nomodeset".

10) Log into your session and enjoy ubuntu!

NOT DONE YET!

11) Locate your grub.cfg file in /boot/grub/grub.cfg

12) change your writing permissions by opening a new terminal and getting inside the /boot/ directory.

13) $ sudo su

14) # chmod "your_user_name" -R grub

15) Now you've changed the file permissions, but to double check, go and right click on the "grub.cfg" file and change all your permissions to "read and write"

16) This is just to save you time, so you don't have to keep on typing the same code on your computer over again. Look for the splash and quiet lines and change them again for "nosplash noquiet nomodeset"

17) Save file open a new terminal and update-grub, and you're ready to go!

http://quantumbeach.wikidot.com/bug:1

It's not working, I cant get boot with my usb to get to the linux screen without switching to legacy mode. I guess I'll have to install linux on an external harddrive or something. I wish I could get this to work.

And what about booting from CD  insted of USB?

Also Im thinking that your problem is related  to UEFI Boot, if you can reinstal your windows system  under AHCI mode and ones is done you could try installing the Linux

Hope im right !

en.community.dell.com/.../20062904.aspx

Ok, here's the error message I get: 

SYSLINUX 4.07

EDD 2103-07-25 (authors name)

/HBCD/menu.c32: not a COM32R image

boot:

In Rufus, I selected:

MBR partition scheme for BIOS or UEFI computers

File Size: FAT32

Cluster size: 4096 bytes (Default)

create bootable disk using ISO (Hiren's Boot CD 15.2)

I tried to change from MBR partition scheme to GPT but Rufus errors saying only EFI bootable ISO images are supported. I know my partitions are GPT because I saw them using the Bootable CD when entering Ghost DOS back up in that CD. 

So, 

what's causing this error message,  /HBCD/menu.c32: not a COM32R image?