Sigh. Double image, what does it mean?
It means this year can suck a rock.
Back to Monterrey tomorrow. I think this is a hardware problem, after tinkering with the drivers and settings to no avail.
It's just not my weekend for getting anything done - or for trying to keep costs low when things haven't worked out all year financially & I'm losing work in 2024.
But! So it goes. Some years just suck. Chin up and time to get the desktop out, to try to finish my work elsewhere tonight. TTFN!
@MLClark If you want to see if it's a hardware issue, grab yourself a USB stick, a program like Rufus, and an ISO for (pretty much) any Linux distro... burn the ISO to the USB stick and boot up in Live mode. If you see a double-image, it's a hardware issue. If you don't, it's a driver/software issue.
I've already mentioned that I can't load Linux onto this machine because it won't read the USB in BIOS. I've tried two gens of USB, and neither shows up. Thanks, though.
@MLClark Oh. I forgot about that. Sorry - my memory's just about nonexistent, if I haven't mentioned that before.
Hmmmmmm... hopefully I haven't asked this before, but wait a sec, do you have the USB controller enabled in the Integrated Peripherals settings? If that's disabled, that'd explain your problem.
Also (same disclaimer) disabling secure boot or using a signed image (I believe Ubuntu's images are signed) is vital. You might have more luck if you enable CSM mode / MBR mode?
@MLClark Alternatively, if you have another computer on hand / know someone who's willing to let you use theirs for a bit and your machine supports it, you might have more luck with PXE boot (network boot)?
PXE is a bit of a pain in the butt to get working, and not all machines support it, but it may be an option in your case.
Alternatively... and this is a suuuuper dumb question... W.R.T your double-view issue, have you tried booting Windows in Safe Mode?
I did, but I appreciate the time you've taken to hash out options, and suggest possible fixes to the USB issue. That might be something to explore in the future, if I'm still stuck with this machine, to get off Windows at long last. But right now I have to optimize my workflow by setting up the other machine again and getting back to business there. The early Dec repair is still under warranty, though, for the tech to review tomorrow, so hopefully it's a quick fix there. Cheers!
@MLClark Oh! I wasn't suggesting doing any kind of install... you may already know this, but Live boot is not the same as an install.
It boots directly off whatever media (USB stick, CD, PXE, you name it) and gives you a usable environment w/o any need for an install. Doesn't touch the HDD/SSD at all.
I use Live environments quite regularly for diagnostic and repair purposes - checking hardware, fixing broken bootloaders and config, resetting passwords, etc.
Like I said, the USB isn't read in this machine's BIOS. But I might have confused issues for you by mentioning that your suggested fixes might help in the future with getting Linux to work. I tried the whole Rufus route for a Linux install last year, but I couldn't get the boot option to show up. Thought it might be a USB gen issue, but that didn't fix it either.
Anyway, time to get back to work. Cheers.
@MLClark I'm a little muddled at the moment - long day at work - and I'm prone to getting mixed up because of my predisposition towards constantly forgetting pretty much all the context... so it's not you, it's me lol
Fair enough. Cheers to you as well! Best of luck with your issue.
Thanks again for all the possibilities!
If I get this machine in working order again, and have time for the switch, I look forward to seeing if your suggestions help to get that darned USB to work.
Rest up, and have a good one!
@MLClark You're very welcome, happy to (try to) help. Even if I'm not always the easiest to communicate with, haha.
I hope it helps!
Thanks, you too!