Predator Helios 300 Dual Boot menu setup

Shivam0831
Shivam0831 Member Posts: 9

Tinkerer

edited July 2023 in Predator Laptops

Hi,

I just completed my dual boot setup with windows and ubuntu. I wanted to setup a dual boot menu for whenever I boot up my laptop. I tried a couple of methods to enable the boot menu, but none of them worked. I wondering if there is a bois setting/option that I need to enable for the boot menu to show up. For now, the laptop boots up with the last selected os or by the priority order setup in the bois.

Currently I am running everything on Predator Helios 300(2020 edition).

Thanks for the help :)

[Edited the thread to add model name to the title]

Answers

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,176 Trailblazer

    Does the grub menu appear when you press the shift key on startup?

    Jack E/NJ

  • Shivam0831
    Shivam0831 Member Posts: 9

    Tinkerer

    I got the boot menu working with F12. However, it would be way better if it asked me my os choice every time I boot the system. Is there any way to set that up?

    Thanks for your reply!

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,176 Trailblazer

    Yes. But first I need to know if the grub choice menu appears when you press the SHIFT KEY on startup, not F12.

    Jack E/NJ

  • Shivam0831
    Shivam0831 Member Posts: 9

    Tinkerer

    Hi, sorry for the late reply. I tried several times, but it did not open the Grub menu on startup. Do I need to setup this somewhere in the bois?

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,176 Trailblazer

    Use file manager to open "/etc" folder.

    Right click "/etc/default" subfolder. Click open as root.

    Use text editor to open "grub" file in the "/etc/default" subfolder.

    Change "Grub_Timeout = " line to "Grub_Timeout = 10" to show grub menu for 10 seconds.

    Save changes to "grub" file & exit.

    Then go to terminal command prompt.

    Enter 'sudo update-grub'.

    Jack E/NJ

  • Shivam0831
    Shivam0831 Member Posts: 9

    Tinkerer

    edited August 2023

    Hi, I edited the file using the vim editor and saved the changes. For some reason it still doesn't show the GRUB menu when I hold down SHIFT while booting up. And yes, I did run the update command. I even checked the GRUB file after booting up the system.

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,176 Trailblazer

    I just completed my dual boot setup with windows and ubuntu.

    Was ubuntu installed BEFORE or AFTER Windows?

    Jack E/NJ

  • Shivam0831
    Shivam0831 Member Posts: 9

    Tinkerer

    I installed ubuntu before windows.

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,176 Trailblazer

    I installed ubuntu before windows.

    That's the problem. The grub boot manager installer obviously didn't detect a Windows installation. And the Windows boot manager installer won't recognize a Linux installation.

    The safest workaround in this case is as you've already found, the built-in BIOS F12 boot option menu. However, if you're venturesome and want to risk corrupting both installations to get a grub menu with a Windows option, try the following.

    (1) F12 boot to Linux.

    (2) Go to the terminal command prompt.

    (3) Enter 'sudo os-prober'.

    (4) If Windows is successfully detected…

    (5) Then enter 'sudo update-grub' again.

    (6) Shut down Linux normally.

    (7) Turn it back on while crossing your fingers.

    Jack E/NJ

  • Shivam0831
    Shivam0831 Member Posts: 9

    Tinkerer

    Ahh shitt. Well, I am fine with using F12 as of now. Thanks for looking into the problem for me!
    Have a good rest of your day!

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,176 Trailblazer

    You should be able to enter 'sudo os-prober' without risk. Just to see if it detects the Windows installation. It's the 'sudo update-grub' command that carries some risk.

    If it was mine, I'd just hafta try to 'sudo update-grub' after backing up my personal files. Here's my 'sudo os-prober' result after entering my password. Your result should be similar if the detection goes well.

    Since the grub menu is so easy to manipulate and customize with dual, triple, quadruple etc boot installations, it's worth having it active.

    Jack E/NJ

  • Shivam0831
    Shivam0831 Member Posts: 9

    Tinkerer

    I tried the steps above. It detects windows so I tried sudo update-grub. Rebooted the system, but still nothing happens when I press shift while booting ubuntu. Currently both os are booting normally and the boot menu still opens when pressing f12 while starting up the system. Any ideas what could be wrong now?

    Thanks in advance :)

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 45,176 Trailblazer

    First we need to see if the grub choice menu now appears when you press the SHIFT KEY on startup.

    Jack E/NJ