Ubuntu – “Reboot and select proper boot device” error after clean Ubuntu 13.04 install

bootgrub2system-installationuefi

I am having the same problem as Clean Install of Ubuntu won't boot [reboot and select proper boot device] where a fresh Ubuntu install completes but will not boot.

I get a Reboot and select proper boot device error, first with Xubuntu 13.10, later with Xubuntu 13.04, and finally also with Ubuntu 13.04. Asus motherboard Z77, Intel chipset. Standard internal SATA 500GB HD. 64-bit. It was running Ubuntu 12.04LTC until I tried this upgrade.

I have re-installed Ubuntu 13.04 from scratch different ways:

  • with LVM,
  • without LVM,
  • with the default partitions,
  • with my own partitions,
  • with ext3 or ext4,
  • alongside,
  • replace,
  • run boot-repair from USB installation media
  • upgrade,
  • run boot-repair again

No difference.

This starts from the ubuntu-13.04-desktop-amd64.iso and UNetbootin as suggested on the official instructions for USB thumb drive creation from OS X. That part all works fine (booting the USB on the PC and trying Ubuntu and/or installing from there on the PC HD.) I have no CD drive on this PC, but I suppose I could get one. I would rather find some Linux install that works from USB like I've always done.

After running boot-repair twice, in the Asus BIOS I now see three different UEFI boot options in the priority list, and they are all labelled exactly the same:

ubuntu (P6: WDC WD5000AAKX-00U6AA0)

Then there's a non-UEFI option:

P6: WDC WD5000AAKX-00U6AA0 (476940MB)

And a fifth option appeared after the first boot-repair:

Windows Boot Manager (P6: WDC WD5000AAKX-00U6AA0)

I have tried all 5 of these, and I get exactly the same error.

I have never had Windows installed on this HD. Asus is calling it Windows Boot Manager but I presume that's a mistaken label for whatever boot-repair did.

I can boot on USB and run GParted and it looks great. The partitions all look normal.

Needs a master boot record wipe/redo?

Best Answer

Solution: Update the ASUS BIOS with a newer version.

The great support team at Boot-Repair concluded this was a UEFI bug with my BIOS. I did update the BIOS near the end of all this, so apparently that did something good.

I also seemed to have better luck generating the installation USB from within Ubuntu itself rather than from a Mac using UNetbootin, but that may not have anything to do with it.

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