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I am currently trying to install Ubuntu as a Dual boot to my Windows.

I have created a USB-installer using Rufus and the downlodable iso from Ubuntu's own website.

However, when I boot my computer with the USB, and select Ubuntu through the grub loader, I am stuck with the error: “Initramfs unpacking failed: Decoding failed”, while some of my screen is flickering.

I have afterwards tried to boot my laptop using the same bootable USB, and are not met with the error on the laptop.

Does anyone know how i should proceed? Or have anyone also encountered this?

Lasse Harde
  • 103

4 Answers4

4

It's kind of a bogus error, unless you can't fully boot into Ubuntu.

Either boot into Ubuntu, or into Recovery Mode from the GRUB menu...

  • GRUB menu
    • Additional Options
      • Recovery Mode
        • Root Access

...and type the following commands. This will rebuild the (possibly) broken ramdisk file.

sudo update-initramfs -c -k $(uname -r)

reboot

heynnema
  • 73,649
2

I fixed this problem just by selecting mode Ubuntu Safe Graphics when it started. https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/boot_options.html Took a few seconds to see the Ubuntu landing section.

Frank Escobar
  • 121
2

Just wanted to add one more thing to this.

I just ended up here for the same error message while trying to provision a VM on MS-HyperV 2019.

In my case it wasn't even completing the verification correctly, after a bit of digging and messing around it turned out I had not allocated enough memory to the VM instance.

As I do with all my VM's I use dynamic memory, and I'd set the startup amount to 256mb. Because this was happening so early in the boot HyperV wasn't getting anough chance to profile the memory demand properly and re-size it as needed.

As soon as I upped the start-up memory to 2gb and rebooted from the ISO image I was using, everything started to work ok.

shawty
  • 283
1

I experienced this issue when setting up Ubuntu 20.04 on my Dell PC.

I downloaded the ISO image and then burnt it into a USB Flash drive using Rufus, when I tried to install, I got the error

Initramfs unpacking failed: Decoding failed

I also tried using UNetbootin to burn the Ubuntu 20.04 ISO file into the USB Flash drive, but it gave me the same error.

The issue can be caused by more than one factor. For me it was:

  • Intel(R) RST was enabled, that is, Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID)

  • BitLocker was turned for my Windows C: Drive which I wanted to install Ubuntu alongside

Here's how I fixed it:

We will need to turn off Bitlocker for Ubuntu to be able to access the files in the Windows C: Drive, and then we will also need to change the storage controller protocol from RST (Redundant Array of Independent Disks - RAID) to Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI):

  • Boot into your Windows operating system
  • Click on start and type manage BitLocker and launch it as an administrator.
  • Click on Turn off BitLocker (wait on the decryption to finish – it is indicated in the system tray)
  • Reboot your computer to make sure BitLocker is disabled.
  • Right-click the Windows Start Menu and click on Command Prompt (Admin).
  • Enter: bcdedit /set {current} safeboot minimal
  • Reboot the computer into the BIOS (F2,Del,ESC,F12 or other key depending on the computer manufacturer).
  • Look for SATA operation mode and change it to AHCI and save + reboot computer. (F10 key etc.)
  • Windows should start up in safemode.
  • Right-click the Windows Start Menu and click on Command Prompt (Admin).
  • Enter: bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot
  • Reboot computer and windows should start up normally again.

Now you can install Ubuntu 20.04 without issues.

Resources:

That's all.

I hope this helps

Promise Preston
  • 303