Installing Ubuntu on an Old ASUS Laptop with a Clean SSD
If you're looking to install Ubuntu on an old ASUS laptop with a clean SSD, you might encounter the "Volume Full; Not Bootable" error during the installation process. This article will provide a detailed guide on how to troubleshoot and resolve this issue, allowing you to successfully install Ubuntu on your old ASUS laptop.
1. Understanding the Error
The "Volume Full; Not Bootable" error typically occurs when the installation media has been corrupted or when there is a problem with the target disk. In this case, the error is related to the clean SSD installed on the old ASUS laptop. The following steps will guide you through the process of resolving this issue and successfully installing Ubuntu.
2. Preparing the Installation Media
Begin by downloading the Ubuntu ISO file from the official Ubuntu website. Once the ISO file has been downloaded, use a tool like Rufus or Etcher to create a bootable USB drive with the Ubuntu ISO. Make sure to select the correct USB drive and ISO file during the creation process.
# Creating a bootable USB drive with Rufus
$ sudo rufus -p 1234 -w 1 -f 128 -a 2048 -m /path/to/ubuntu.iso /dev/sdX
3. Booting from the Installation Media
Insert the bootable USB drive into the old ASUS laptop and restart the device. As the laptop boots, press the appropriate key (usually F2, F10, or ESC) to enter the BIOS setup. Navigate to the "Boot" tab and change the boot order to prioritize the USB drive. Save the changes and exit the BIOS setup. The laptop should now boot from the USB drive and display the Ubuntu installation screen.
4. Resolving the "Volume Full; Not Bootable" Error
During the installation process, when you reach the "Installation Type" screen, select "Something else" to manually partition the SSD. This will allow you to create a new partition table and resolve the "Volume Full; Not Bootable" error.
# Creating a new partition table
$ sudo parted /dev/sda mklabel gpt
Next, create a new EFI system partition (ESP) and a root partition for Ubuntu. Make sure to format the ESP as FAT32 and the root partition as ext4.
# Creating the EFI system partition
$ sudo parted /dev/sda mkpart ESP fat32 1M 513M
$ sudo mkfs.fat -F 32 /dev/sda1
# Creating the root partition
$ sudo parted /dev/sda mkpart primary ext4 514M 100%
$ sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda2
5. Installing Ubuntu
With the new partition table in place, continue with the Ubuntu installation process. When prompted for the installation type, select "Something else" and configure the partitions as follows:
- ESP (/dev/sda1): Set the mount point to "/boot/efi" and choose the "EFI System Partition" file system type.
- Root partition (/dev/sda2): Set the mount point to "/" and choose the "Ext4 journaling file system" file system type.
After configuring the partitions, proceed with the installation. Once the installation is complete, remove the bootable USB drive and restart the laptop. The laptop should now boot into Ubuntu without encountering the "Volume Full; Not Bootable" error.
In this article, we've discussed how to install Ubuntu on an old ASUS laptop with a clean SSD, addressing the "Volume Full; Not Bootable" error during the installation process. By manually partitioning the SSD and creating a new partition table, you can successfully install Ubuntu on your old ASUS laptop.
References
- Ubuntu Desktop: https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop
- Rufus: https://rufus.ie/
- Etcher: https://www.balena.io/etcher/
- Ubuntu Installation: https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/install-ubuntu-desktop#1-overview
- Partitioning with parted: https://linux.die.net/man/8/parted
- mkfs.fat: https://linux.die.net/man/8/mkfs.fat
- mkfs.ext4: https://linux.die.net/man/8/mkfs.ext4