Linux – How to run bootable media on Asus S550CM ultrabook while preserving existing pre-installed Windows 8

biosfedoralinuxwindowswindows 8

I recently bought an Asus S550CM ultrabook with Windows 8 pre-installed on it. However, I need to also install Fedora 19 beta on the same machine simultaneously as a dual boot option for my work, which involves quite a bit of cross-platform testing.

I had setup & used similar dual boot configuration for my laptops earlier when I had Windows Vista and then Windows 7 with various iterations of Fedora OS, without any trouble.

This time I'm unable to set up a dual boot configuration with Windows 8 and Fedora as I'm unable to boot from any kind of bootable media (USB/DVD) even after I set up Boot device priority to access USB first, then DVD, and then the Windows Image and finally I disabled Secure Boot. I'm however, unable to locate any options for enabling Legacy Boot on the BIOS. The BIOS shows my USB device's name as [UEFI:Sandisk16GBVolume].

I want make a backup/recovery disk for my existing Windows 8 and then set up a dual boot configuration without erasing the existing installation, to be able to resume my work on my day job. I didn't receive any backup/recovery disk with the ultrabook, hence re-installing Windows is not an option for me.

In this situation, how can I install Fedora on my Asus S550CM ultrabook while keeping the existing pre-installed Windows 8 intact?

Best Answer

Hit F2 before the Asus logo appears during boot. Find the following two settings and set them accordingly:

Security > Secure Boot Control: Disabled
Boot > Launch CSM: Enabled

Select 'Save & Exit' from the menu. Upon restarting, hit F2 again to enter the BIOS and set your boot priorities.

Related Solutions

ASUS Laptop – Dual Boot Linux and Windows 8

You are seeing this from the wrong perspective. There are tons of (answered) queries on Windows/Linux dual boot pcs, on this site and others like this one.

There is nothing instead (or very little anyway) on a dual boot retaining SecureBoot, because this is still either not supported by most Linux distros, or only partially supported by some of them.

This useful blog post states, among many other things:

Choose a Linux Distribution That Supports Secure Boot:

Modern versions of Ubuntu — starting with Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS and 12.10 — will boot and install normally on most PCs with Secure Boot enabled. This is because Ubuntu’s first-stage EFI boot loader is signed by Microsoft. However, a Ubuntu developer notes that Ubuntu’s boot loader isn’t signed with a key that’s required by Microsoft’s certification process, but simply a key Microsoft says is “recommended.” This means that Ubuntu may not boot on all UEFI PCs. Users may have to disable Secure Boot to to use Ubuntu on some PCs.

I am afraid you may have to experiment a bit yourself, and that the outcome will depend on both your pc and the distro you intend to install, i.e., that no general recommendations can be made.

Windows – How to re-install Windows 8 for ASUS Ultrabook

Well, I have been through same condition many times and my first time was the second day since I purchased my laptop 5 years ago.

From my experience I would simply ask you to follow these steps, you don't even have to install your OS again. Following steps will do the job.

 1. Download the Windows 8 iso (Download the version based on your
    current system support i.e. x86/x64).

 2. Create a Bootable USB drive from this iso using [Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool](http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool) Or [Universal USB Installer](http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/).

 3. Now boot from your USB Device.

 4. Select your Keyboard and region language when prompted.

 5. Click Repair and let the process to be completed.

 6. When it completes, reboot your laptop. If everything is fixed, your OS will boot. (Forget the further steps, you are done).

 7. If it doesn't, Boot from USB again and repeat the above steps till step 4

 8. Click Install

 9. Agree the Terms

 10. Select Custom and Click Next

 11. Select your Drive on which you want to Install OS (You can also format the drive here).

Now let all the steps to complete, your PC will boot several times during the installation process.

Follow the steps after, Create Username and set other things. and you are done.

I hope this'll help you.

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