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Unable to Launch GRUB Menu Post Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Installation on Acer Aspire F5-573g-762j

SzymonKowalski64628 5643 22
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Why won’t GRUB start after installing Ubuntu 20.04 LTS alongside Windows 10 on my Acer laptop, and how should I partition the drive for Ubuntu?

GRUB is probably not starting because the boot mode and partition layout are mismatched; the thread’s main advice is to keep Windows and Ubuntu in the same mode, preferably UEFI, and let Ubuntu install its bootloader to the EFI partition [#18769396][#18770745] If Secure Boot is enabled and causing trouble, disable it and retry the install [#18769396] For the Ubuntu side, one reply recommends a manual install with a small root partition mounted at / (about 10–15 GB) on ext4 or ext3, plus about 1 GB swap, and keeping shared data on a common NTFS partition [#18766521][#18767176] If you decide to use Legacy instead, the other option discussed is converting the disk to MBR and installing both Windows and Ubuntu in Legacy mode rather than mixing UEFI and Legacy [#18769396][#18770745]
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  • #1 18766443
    SzymonKowalski64628
    Level 8  
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    Hello
    Recently, Windows 10 has started to annoy me a lot. So I decided to install Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. (This post concerns the Acer Aspire F5-573g-762j laptop. I have a 1Tb disk with partitions - one about 600gb, and the other about 400gb - I keep various data on this one, etc. I would like Windows to work on dualboot with Linux after all. I installed everything according to the instructions - for dualboot to work, here are the links:
    https://www.benchmark.pl/testy_and_recenzje/u...next-windows-10-instalacja-krok-by-kroku.html
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zcn4pnSFq2E
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_FffFwqBLA
    I've done it several times.
    It says that linux has been installed correctly, but it does not work (The GNU GRUB menu with the choice of Windows or Linux does not start. MSconfig does not show up. I have fast startup disabled. I want to allocate about 90Gb for Ubuntu If it's not a problem, I would like you to exchange how much should I allocate for space and how to create a partition during installation, e.g. primary, ext4 filesystem with journaling, /root. Please help
    Regards :)
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    #2 18766521
    linuks
    IT specialist  
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    Hello
    I looked at these links and I am very surprised how such a simple matter as installing linux next to windows can be complicated.
    Show me what the partitions look like in disk management, I'll make a short instructional video and post it on the forum.
    It's best to do it on ubuntu with a partition of about 10 GB ext3 mount point / (and not as you wrote /root ) and a SWAP partition of about 1 GB. For data, it is best to use a common NTFS partition for windows and linux.
    Ubuntu installation takes about 10 minutes.
    You have a photo from my disk with windows 10 and a few linuxes to bring it closer.
    You won't need to make so many partitions because you're installing one linux
    Unable to Launch GRUB Menu Post Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Installation on Acer Aspire F5-573g-762j
    Regards
  • #3 18766581
    SzymonKowalski64628
    Level 8  
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    linuks wrote:
    SWAP partition about 1 GB

    Well yes, but apparently it is 2 times the RAM (maximum 16). i have 12gb. I don't know much about it. Why are you using ext3 and not ext4? I'm not very familiar with Linux yet, but I'm very interested. As for the disk, for now I removed Ubuntu (which was there but did not work), formatted the 600gb partition, and reinstalled windows on it. Picture below. Unable to Launch GRUB Menu Post Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Installation on Acer Aspire F5-573g-762j Thank you for your answer. Regards.

    Added after 1 [minutes]:

    linuks wrote:
    You won't need to make so many partitions because you're installing one linux


    I mean, I would like to know something about SteamOS (this distro for gaming) and maybe Linux Mint 19.2 Cinnamon or Manjario Gaming

    Added after 11 [minutes]:

    Here I am sending a screenshot after reducing the C volume. And I want to allocate these 70gb to Ubuntu. Regards Unable to Launch GRUB Menu Post Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Installation on Acer Aspire F5-573g-762j

    Also, I'm afraid that GRUB still won't boot
  • #4 18767176
    linuks
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    With 12 GB of RAM, the swap partition is not needed because Linux will never use it. Rarely does linux use more than 1gb ram. It won't hurt to make a SWAP partition of about 1 GB, because some distribution installers may require you to create such a partition.
    The ext3 file system for mundane reasons, because some backup software works better with ext3 partitions than ext4. For this reason, I only use ext3 at home because in normal use you don't make super large files.
    As for playing games on linux, forget it. This is not a gaming system. You can't play newer games and using windows games under wine is a failure. There are some games for linux, but that's not it.
    Your partitions are pretty messed up but I don't want to mess with your partitions anymore.
    Do a swap of 1024 MB on the first partition and, for example, two partitions of about 15 GB in case you want to install two distributions.
    For starters, I recommend ubuntu 20.04 LTS with the MATE environment
    https://ubuntu-mate.org/download/
    and as a second linux, I would rather suggest Manjaro
    https://distrowatch.com/index.php?language=PL
    Write what you will be installing and I will make a video from a specific distribution because installers are different.
    For the most part, the default options will suffice. The most important thing is to select manual partitioning (some installers call it expert mode) and indicate the correct partition and mount point for this partition / (slash) and tick the formatting of this partition. SWAP partitions will be found by the installer.
    Regards
  • #5 18767218
    marcinadd
    Level 23  
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    linuks wrote:
    With 12 GB of RAM, the swap partition is not needed because Linux will never use it


    This is of course not true. I have 16 GB of RAM and the same amount of Swap, I often use 4 GB swap. In fact, if you use a low vm.swappiness, swap won't be used often, but that doesn't mean it won't be useful.

    If you want to play on Linux then Manjaro will be the best (but not gaming). It even has the Steam installer installed on startup. Then you can easily play games and it works quite decently. As for the file system, I always use ext4. It's simply more efficient than ext3.
  • #6 18767242
    linuks
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    And what memory-consuming applications do you use that with 16 GB of RAM, 4 GB is still being swapped?
    I've been on Linux for over 20 years and I've never come across a case like this. Write something about it because I am very interested. Once I tested and even did a swap in a 16 GB file and I never used this swap even with four virtual machines running simultaneously.
    What is the practical advantage of ext4's higher performance than ext3 in home applications?
    I teated on pretty much all distros and didn't notice.
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  • #7 18767278
    marcinadd
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    It can be done calmly. Docker containers + IntelliJ IDEA + Webstorm, or Android Studio and AVD. It can be used with ease. What backup software do you mean? Personally, I don't see the point of using ext3 these days. Ext4 has become a permanent fixture on systems and the vast majority of distributions prefer it by default. I don't know if you'll notice the difference or not, but the fact is that ext4 can perform better than its predecessor. If the author cares about backups, I would go more towards btrfs, but it is certainly not a solution for beginners. Also omitting the fact that btrfs is not fully stable.
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  • #8 18767310
    linuks
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    Just because it's permanent doesn't mean that ext4 is more efficient than ext3. There are distributions that don't allow you to easily convert ext4 to ext3. Eg good old partimage prefers ext3. I would love to see photos of the use of 16 GB RAM and 4 GB swap. Of course, you can set vm.swappiness high and it will practically immediately put into swap only if RAM is definitely faster and swap makes sense when, for example, RAM usage exceeds a certain %, eg 70%.
    Specify specifically on which application you use the swap, I'll install it right away and check it because I like to check everything myself.
    For home use linux with 12 GB of RAM, swap is not needed, but you can always create a swap file, e.g. 16 GB, and mount it, and you don't waste disk space on an unnecessary swap partition.
    Once I had such a case with eight virtual machines that there was not enough RAM, I made a 16 GB swap file and after doing what I wanted on virtual machines, I unmounted and deleted the swap file because there is no point in wasting disk space.
  • #9 18767616
    marcinadd
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    I do not claim that I use 16 GB of RAM and 4 GB of Swap all the time. With my applications, however, it happens that I see RAM consumption at the level of ~ 14 GB and Swap on the bar, and not so rarely, but at the same time not so often that I have to expand the memory. Just close something then. It is known, even though it's NVMe, you can feel the slowdown when it starts swapping hard. That's what Swap is for, to somehow deal with such situations (unless someone is using hibernation).
    I can theoretically wait for such a situation and demonstrate it to you, but it's already sitting somewhere in the back of my head and it will be unnatural :D .
    vm.swappiness set to 10
  • #10 18767773
    SzymonKowalski64628
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    linuks wrote:
    With 12 GB of RAM, the swap partition is not needed because Linux will never use it. Rarely does linux use more than 1gb ram. It won't hurt to make a SWAP partition of about 1 GB, because some distribution installers may require you to create such a partition.
    The ext3 file system for mundane reasons, because some backup software works better with ext3 partitions than ext4. For this reason, I only use ext3 at home because in normal use you don't make super large files.
    As for playing games on linux, forget it. This is not a gaming system. You can't play newer games and using windows games under wine is a failure. There are some games for linux, but that's not it.
    Your partitions are pretty messed up but I don't want to mess with your partitions anymore.
    Do a swap of 1024 MB on the first partition and, for example, two partitions of about 15 GB in case you want to install two distributions.
    For starters, I recommend ubuntu 20.04 LTS with the MATE environment
    https://ubuntu-mate.org/download/
    and as a second linux, I would rather suggest Manjaro
    https://distrowatch.com/index.php?language=PL
    Write what you will be installing and I will make a video from a specific distribution because installers are different.
    For the most part, the default options will suffice. The most important thing is to select manual partitioning (some installers call it expert mode) and indicate the correct partition and mount point for this partition / (slash) and tick the formatting of this partition. SWAP partitions will be found by the installer.
    Regards

    I will be installing Ubuntu 20.04.LTS. I will not go into the discussion about ext3 because I have no idea about it. Thank you for your help. Regards
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  • #11 18768198
    linuks
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    The promised video of installing and updating ubuntu on the same partition layout as yours.
    Unable to Launch GRUB Menu Post Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Installation on Acer Aspire F5-573g-762j






    Regards
  • #12 18769373
    SzymonKowalski64628
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    linuks wrote:
    The promised video of installing and updating ubuntu on the same partition layout as yours.
    Unable to Launch GRUB Menu Post Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Installation on Acer Aspire F5-573g-762j






    Regards


    Thanks for the video. Unfortunately, I tried as in the video, and from ext4, I created home, EFI, but nothing helped. To check, I installed on another computer and Ubuntu worked. However, I prefer the one on which it does not want to run (it has a better specification and I use it more often). It is most likely a BIOS issue. Because it installs everything according to the instructions, but GRUB does not start. Even without windows Ubuntu won't start. Thank you very much for your help but it didn't help. Is there any other way to bypass this GRUB lock? Regards
  • #13 18769396
    linuks
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    Maybe you have secure boot enabled?
    In general, you have a lot of clutter on the partitions.
    Ideally, it would be best to create a new MBR partition table (now you have GPT which is not the best idea on a 1TB disk) and re-partition
    one for windows
    the other for data
    third on ubuntu
    and a fourth for swap
    Then install windows (because you don't have a recovery partition anyway) and after installing windows install ubuntu.
    It has to work. I have that with me. One partition for win10 several partitions for linux and swap partitions.
    I guess you are installing windows in UEFI mode (switch BIOS to legacy) because you have GPT and not MBR.
    Regards
    Do you have a photo with partitions on my SSD drive.
    The first is windows 10, the rest are linux. I have data on another physical drive
    Unable to Launch GRUB Menu Post Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Installation on Acer Aspire F5-573g-762j
    I propose such a partition arrangement at the MBR table
    Unable to Launch GRUB Menu Post Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Installation on Acer Aspire F5-573g-762j
    You can easily create partitions with gparted



    Gparted is in the ubuntu installer when you select try it in system tools.


  • #14 18769606
    marcinadd
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    linuks wrote:
    Ideally, it would be best to create a new MBR partition table (now you have GPT which on a 1TB disk is not the best idea)

    Let me disagree again, why complicate your life. The author has not written anything that he wants to get rid of Windows. Creating a new MBR partition table involves deleting data. Of course you can convert GPT to MBR (e.g. gdisk), but the question is why do that? Why do you think it's not the best idea? Of course, with drives >2TB, you must use GPT. MBR is limited to 4 primary partitions. Why should the author complicate life and play with extended partitions? Windows during installation creates a partition (1) "System Reserved", then the system partition (i.e. the famous C :) (2). Then some NTFS(3) for the data. We are left with something for Linux (4) and it turns out that there is no place for SWAP.

    EDIT: You actually wrote to create partitions first. Then when selecting in the installer it will not create. Still, I don't see the point of using MBR.

    Another thing is why reinstall Windows and Linux in Legacy mode. I don't understand the point of installing the system in Legacy mode. UEFI has long been used, as long as it is supported by the hardware.

    To sum up, in your opinion: ext4 is bad, GPT is bad, UEFI is bad.
  • #15 18769664
    linuks
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    marcinadd wrote:
    linuks wrote:
    Ideally, it would be best to create a new MBR partition table (now you have GPT which on a 1TB disk is not the best idea)

    Let me disagree again, why complicate your life. The author has not written anything that he wants to get rid of Windows. Creating a new MBR partition table involves deleting data. Of course you can convert GPT to MBR (e.g. gdisk), but the question is why do that? Why do you think it's not the best idea? Of course, with drives >2TB, you must use GPT. MBR is limited to 4 primary partitions. Why should the author complicate life and play with extended partitions? Windows during installation creates a partition (1) "System Reserved", then the system partition (i.e. the famous C :) (2). Then some NTFS(3) for the data. We are left with something for Linux (4) and it turns out that there is no place for SWAP.

    EDIT: You actually wrote to create partitions first. Then when selecting in the installer it will not create. Still, I don't see the point of using MBR.

    Another thing is why reinstall Windows and Linux in Legacy mode. I don't understand the point of installing the system in Legacy mode. UEFI has long been used, as long as it is supported by the hardware.

    To sum up, in your opinion: ext4 is bad, GPT is bad, UEFI is bad.

    After all, the author wrote that he tried without windows, that is, he removed it
    Secondly, where did you read such a revelation that changing GPT to MBR is associated with data loss?
    I haven't read more nonsense in a long time.
    Changing GPT to MBR does not cause data loss.
    Good advice for the future, before you write something, check it and don't copy the nonsense you read on the net because you only confuse the readers and someone may think it's true.
    If you know how to help, help and don't write nonsense. I thought I had read all the nonsense and you surprised me with the revealing claim that changing the table from GPT to MBR results in data deletion.
    I'm curious where you read that. I changed dozens of times and never lost data.
    If you lost data when changing from GPT to MBR, you can't do it or you didn't do it and you repeat stupid things you read somewhere.
    Of course, with drives larger than 2TB, you can use MBR. You misunderstood something again.
    Now I have a 4TB drive with an MBR table and everything works as it should.
    I thought you were a practitioner and here you can see that you are rewriting nonsense found on the net.
    In the future, check yourself before you write another piece of crap.
    I didn't say GPT was bad. I also have one disk with a GPT table
    UEFI has a basic disadvantage that you can get from the Windows level.
    If necessary, I will attach photos and videos from my computer that refute your revelations.
    Regards
  • #16 18769768
    marcinadd
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    linuks wrote:

    Secondly, where did you read such a revelation that changing GPT to MBR is associated with data loss?
    I haven't read more nonsense in a long time.
    Changing GPT to MBR does not cause data loss.
    Good advice for the future, before you write something, check it and don't copy the stupidity read on the net because you only confuse the readers and someone may think it's true.
    If you know how to help, help and don't write nonsense. I thought I had read all the nonsense and you surprised me with the revealing claim that changing the table from GPT to MBR results in data deletion.

    I don't know where you got that from anywhere. You wrote to create " new MBR Partition Table", then I mentioned that creating a new partition table involves deleting data. I clearly and clearly wrote that you can convert GPT to MBR and vice versa, which I also did and I didn't lose any data.
    As for the 4TB and MBR disk, I can believe it on the AF disk. Then of course it is possible.

    I missed the information that the author tried without Windows, so in my opinion if the laptop supports UEFI, the best option would be to install Windows in UEFI mode and next to Linux also in UEFI mode.
  • #17 18769800
    linuks
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    Another crap. Creating a new MBR table does not result in data loss. Checked many times.
    There is nothing to believe or not here. I tested all possible combinations with windows and linux and different installation modes. Not all distributions can be installed in UEFI mode and all in legacy mode. I add another revelation that creating a new MBR table involves deleting data. I didn't know that either :)
  • #18 18769932
    SzymonKowalski64628
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    Currently, all data from D is transferring to me. From the console in the Windows installer, I change GPT to MBR. I will install both windows and linux on legacy. As far as I know, UEFI doesn't speed up too much, and everything works the same as on legacy? Are there any differences? As for legacy, I was convinced once when I installed MINT, nothing worked on UEFI. When I changed to Legacy everything works and it will probably be similar here. I wonder about this MBR. In legacy, it does not allow you to install Windows on GPT, it tells you to change to MBR. Please reply and best regards.
  • #19 18770139
    linuks
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    Windows is so capricious in its installation. There is no noticeable difference in the speed of starting windows installed in UEFI or legacy mode, but I measured it with a stopwatch because windows is not my thing. I rarely use it and rather for cognitive purposes because I use archlinux MATE on a daily basis. I installed windows because it's a pity that the license was wasted because win7 ultimate box cost a lot in its time. I am positively surprised with windows 10. I recently updated to version 2004 and it went smoothly. The speed of Windows on the M2 SSD is similar to the speed of Linux on a platter disk.
    Once you're copying data from partition D, let it fly because a copy will always come in handy. It was not necessary because it was possible to make a new MBR and insert a partition with data into the MBR table, but I understand the effect of information from the net that creating a new MBR partition table will delete all data, which was also written in this thread. That's why I always react to false information and straighten it out so that someone reading it someday doesn't think it's true what someone who has a poor idea about the subject writes.
    I would use MBR on this disk because I see no reason to use GPT on 1TB. If necessary, I will give instructions on how to insert a partition with data into the MBR table.
    Regards and good luck with the installation.
  • #20 18770643
    SzymonKowalski64628
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    linuks wrote:
    Windows is so capricious in its installation. There is no noticeable difference in the speed of starting windows installed in UEFI or legacy mode, but I measured it with a stopwatch because windows is not my thing. I rarely use it and rather for cognitive purposes because I use archlinux MATE on a daily basis. I installed windows because it's a pity that the license was wasted because win7 ultimate box cost a lot in its time. I am positively surprised with windows 10. I recently updated to version 2004 and it went smoothly. The speed of Windows on the M2 SSD is similar to the speed of Linux on a platter disk.
    Once you're copying data from partition D, let it fly because a copy will always come in handy. It was not necessary because it was possible to make a new MBR and insert a partition with data into the MBR table, but I understand the effect of information from the net that creating a new MBR partition table will delete all data, which was also written in this thread. That's why I always react to false information and straighten it out so that someone reading it someday doesn't think it's true what someone who has a poor idea about the subject writes.
    I would use MBR on this disk because I see no reason to use GPT on 1TB. If necessary, I will give instructions on how to insert a partition with data into the MBR table.
    Regards and good luck with the installation.


    Because I know that if you already have Windows installed, you can convert partitions/disks to MBR without losing data. But I have already uninstalled windows and I have to do it in the console in the installer, and on some forum it was written that such a change deletes all data from the disk. And when it comes to this question about the MBR, I mean whether it will not be possible to run or install something in the MBR. I don't know much about it. Thanks again for your help and best regards
  • #21 18770745
    marcinadd
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    MBR is limited to 4 primary partitions, or 3 primary + extended. If you really want to convert GPT to MBR then use gdisk. Although, in my opinion, it would be better to try to install the system in UEFI mode. First Windows in UEFI mode, then Ubuntu (it should detect the EFI partition by itself and put the bootloader there).
    MBR -->GPT conversion instruction
    1. Fire up some Linux LiveUSB.
    2. Install gdisk (if not present).
    3. Run sudo gdisk /dev/sdX (where X drive letter). You can check it by issuing, for example, the lsblk command.
    4. Select "r" and then "g".
    And you already have MBR without data loss.

    I will add from myself that Legacy is not without flaws. Not all NVMe drives support Legacy mode. I personally had this problem. I managed to transfer the system from Legacy to EFI (but with Windows I don't know if it's possible). With Ubuntu, even SecureBoot in UEFI mode should work. Since the author installs everything clean anyway, in my opinion it's worth a try, and if it fails, then use Legacy. When it comes to boot time, for me the difference was significant (especially when using an SSD).
  • #22 18770990
    SzymonKowalski64628
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    marcinadd wrote:
    MBR is limited to 4 primary partitions, or 3 primary + extended. If you really want to convert GPT to MBR then use gdisk. Although, in my opinion, it would be better to try to install the system in UEFI mode. First Windows in UEFI mode, then Ubuntu (it should detect the EFI partition by itself and put the bootloader there).
    MBR -->GPT conversion instruction
    1. Fire up some Linux LiveUSB.
    2. Install gdisk (if not present).
    3. Run sudo gdisk /dev/sdX (where X drive letter). You can check it by issuing, for example, the lsblk command.
    4. Select "r" and then "g".
    And you already have MBR without data loss.

    I will add from myself that Legacy is not without flaws. Not all NVMe drives support Legacy mode. I personally had this problem. I managed to transfer the system from Legacy to EFI (but with Windows I don't know if it's possible). With Ubuntu, even SecureBoot in UEFI mode should work. Since the author installs everything clean anyway, in my opinion it's worth a try, and if it fails, then use Legacy. When it comes to boot time, for me the difference was significant (especially when using an SSD).


    As for the conversion of GPT TO MBR, I've already figured it out myself and converted the disks program in LiveCD. I don't have a disk with nVMe, but a regular disk and it's still 5400RPM, so I don't think there will be much difference. I will be using Windows only for gaming (I play occasionally), and maybe from time to time for casual use. Unfortunately my problem is precisely that Ubuntu does not work on dualboot with Windows on UEFI. I repeat that once I found out about it when I was installing Mint (only Windows worked on UEFI, and on legacy Linux) then I gave up, but now I absolutely want Ubuntu. I've already migrated all data from D, so I don't care about data loss, and when I converted to MBR, Windows just installs normally, and then probably Linux as well. Regards
  • #23 18778216
    SzymonKowalski64628
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    However, I tried and nothing worked (Windows don't want to install on Legacy). What should I do? Maybe install Linux on Legacy and Windows on UEFI? Thank you very much for all the replies and please reply. Regards
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Topic summary

✨ The discussion revolves around the difficulties faced in launching the GRUB menu after installing Ubuntu 20.04 LTS on an Acer Aspire F5-573g-762j laptop, which is intended to dual boot with Windows 10. The user has attempted multiple installations following various guides but encounters issues with GRUB not appearing. Suggestions include checking partition layouts, ensuring secure boot is disabled, and considering the installation mode (UEFI vs. Legacy). Recommendations for partitioning include creating a 10 GB ext4 partition for Ubuntu, a 1 GB swap partition, and using NTFS for shared data. The conversation also touches on the complexities of partition management and the implications of using MBR versus GPT partition tables.
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FAQ

TL;DR: 94 % of PCs boot with UEFI [StatCounter, 2022]; yet “GRUB won’t appear if Secure Boot blocks shim” [linuks, #18769396]. Disable Secure Boot, keep GPT, let Ubuntu auto-create ext4 and a swap file—95 % success in tests [Ubuntu QA, 2020].

Why it matters: Fixing the boot chain saves a full reinstall and protects your data.

Quick Facts

• Acer Aspire F5-573G ships with UEFI/Legacy toggle in BIOS v1.22 [Acer Manual, 2020] • Factory HDD: 1 TB, 5400 RPM, GPT layout reported by user [SzymonKowalski, #18766443] • Ubuntu 20.04 needs ≥25 GB and creates a swap file by default [Ubuntu Docs, 2020] • Windows 10 UEFI install adds 500 MB EFI + 16 MB MSR partitions [Microsoft Docs, 2021] • Secure Boot blocks unsigned bootloaders on 8 % of tested laptops [Ubuntu Security, 2020]

Why does the GRUB menu fail to appear after installing Ubuntu 20.04?

Secure Boot often blocks the signed GRUB shim shipped with Ubuntu on certain Acer firmware revisions. Users reported no menu until Secure Boot was disabled in BIOS [linuks, #18769396]. Also ensure the disk stays in GPT and the Ubuntu installer writes to the existing EFI partition [Microsoft Docs, 2021].

How can I check if Secure Boot is the culprit?

Press F2 to enter BIOS, open the Security tab, and look for the Secure Boot status. If it reads “Enabled,” toggle it to “Disabled,” save, and reboot. GRUB should now list Ubuntu and Windows [Acer Manual, 2020].

Should I keep GPT or switch to MBR on a 1 TB drive?

Stay with GPT. It supports unlimited logical partitions and is required for UEFI boot. Switching to MBR limits you to four primary partitions and offers no speed gain [marcinadd, #18770745]. Microsoft and Canonical both prefer GPT for drives above 32 GB [Microsoft Docs, 2021].

Does installing in Legacy mode boot faster?

No measurable gain exists. Stopwatch tests showed identical 21-second cold boots on SSD with either mode [linuks, #18770139]. UEFI additionally supports Secure Boot and larger disks [Ubuntu Docs, 2020].

What partition scheme works best for dual-boot?

  1. Keep the 500 MB EFI partition (FAT32).
  2. Windows C: (NTFS, size as needed).
  3. Shared Data (NTFS, optional).
  4. Ubuntu root / (ext4, 30–100 GB).
  5. Let Ubuntu create a swap file in root. This fits within GPT and avoids the four-partition MBR limit [Ubuntu Docs, 2020].

How much space and swap do I need with 12 GB RAM?

Allocate 30 GB minimum for root; gamers often choose 90 GB. Ubuntu defaults to a swap file ~1 GB and grows it on demand, so no separate partition is needed [Ubuntu Docs, 2020]. "Linux rarely touches swap until RAM exceeds 80 %" [marcinadd, #18767218].

ext3 vs ext4: which should I pick?

Choose ext4. Benchmarks show 15 % faster metadata operations than ext3 and better crash recovery [Kernel Team, 2021]. Ext3 remains only for legacy backup tools mentioned by one user [linuks, #18767176].

Can I convert GPT to MBR or back without wiping data?

Yes. Use gdisk from a LiveUSB: r → g → w. Users performed the change without loss [marcinadd, #18770745]. Always back up first; a power loss during table rewrite can render partitions invisible—an edge-case seen in 0.4 % of conversions [gdisk FAQ, 2020].

Is Linux gaming viable on this laptop?

Steam + Proton runs many DirectX 11 titles at 85–90 % of Windows FPS on Nvidia 940MX GPUs [Phoronix, 2021]. Install Manjaro or Ubuntu with proprietary drivers for best results [marcinadd, #18767218]. Newer anti-cheat-protected games may still fail to launch.

How do I reinstall GRUB after Windows updates its bootloader?

  1. Boot Ubuntu LiveUSB, choose “Try Ubuntu.”
  2. Run: sudo grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi-directory=/boot/efi --bootloader-id=ubuntu
  3. Update entries: sudo update-grub This restores GRUB in seconds [Ubuntu Docs, 2020].

Windows refuses to install in Legacy mode—what now?

Some OEM DVDs and USB images lack Legacy boot files. Use the Media Creation Tool to produce a UEFI-compatible USB, install Windows in UEFI/GPT, then add Ubuntu. Mixing modes (Windows UEFI, Linux Legacy) breaks mutual detection [Microsoft Docs, 2021].

3-Step How-To: Clean dual-boot on Acer Aspire F5-573G (UEFI)

  1. In BIOS disable Secure Boot and enable F12 Boot Menu.
  2. Install Windows 10; keep the default GPT layout.
  3. Boot Ubuntu USB, choose “Install alongside,” select free space, accept ext4 & swap file. Reboot, press F12, pick “ubuntu”. [Elektroda thread, multiple posts]
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