Ubuntu – First time installing (erasing Windows) from usb, did everything just so, Boot Device Not Found

bootlive-usbsystem-installation

We downloaded Ubuntu here http://www.ubuntu.com/download just as prompted. The 64 bit.

We followed howtoubuntu perfectly, using Rufus to put Ubuntu on a new usb stick.

We installed Ubuntu. Everything looked perfect, step by step.

The computer prompted us to restart, so we did.

With the usb stick in, we are prompted to install Ubuntu. Or one time, it started and looked like we were good to go but nothing would open. But when we try to reinstall, we are told the computer already has ubuntu, would we like to install alongside?

Without the usb stick, we are told to install an operating system. "Boot device not found"

You can probably tell by my vernacular that I am not familiar with this process. How can I fix this? Just want to run Ubuntu on the laptop.

Thanks, Tabitha

Edit: this is an hp pavilion laptop, which I could probably tell you more about if I hadn't just deleted everything on it in a failed attempt to use Ubuntu.

Edited to add sudo fdisk -l response:

Disk /dev/sda: 698.7 GiB, 750156374016 bytes, 1465149168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0xc9478f8b

Device     Boot      Start        End    Sectors   Size Id Type
/dev/sda1  *          2048 1457870847 1457868800 695.2G 83 Linux
/dev/sda2       1457872894 1465147391    7274498   3.5G  5 Extended
/dev/sda5       1457872896 1465147391    7274496   3.5G 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Partition 2 does not start on physical sector boundary.




Disk /dev/sdb: 57.9 GiB, 62109253632 bytes, 121307136 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x003a2730

Device     Boot Start       End   Sectors  Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1  *     2048 121307135 121305088 57.9G  c W95 FAT32 (LBA)

Best Answer

From your fdisk -l output you have Linux install in partition /dev/sda1. You need to ensure you have grub installed on that disk and boot to it. You might have to set your bios to boot to your first hard drive. The steps below is to install grub on the your first hard drive using the installed Ubuntu for the installation.

From your live session running these commands, one by one to resolve your issue.

1) sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt # (If your Linux were on a different partition substitute /sda1 for the partition of your Linux install.)
2) for i in /sys /proc /run /dev; do sudo mount --bind "$i" "/mnt/$i"; done
3) sudo chroot /mnt
4) update-grub
5) grub-install /dev/sda # (/dev/sda is the hard drive that has linux installed (i.e. /dev/sda or /dev/sdb ... etc.)
    update-grub

Now reboot the system.

If it fails to boot, perform the steps again, but this time be sure to also perform step #5 to install group on the boot drive.

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