Problem with installing Ubuntu 16.04 via flash drive

Question

NB: unique part = hard disk is not seen by install program. Not broken. Is being protected by manufacturer? How do I go through the protection? (see my answers to comments below for more info)

here what the terminal says with command sudo lsblk -f

NAME   FSTYPE    LABEL    UUID                                 MOUNTPOINT
sdb    isw_raid_                                               
└─sdb1 isw_raid_                                               
sdc                                                            
├─sdc2                                                         
├─sdc5 swap               ce0660bf-7ab3-4967-9a81-0b5bf7397e7e [SWAP]
└─sdc1 ext4               f8c8fcf4-ace3-47f6-9415-ffbddfab4fc9 /
sda    isw_raid_                                               
├─sda4 vfat      HP_TOOLS D462-EE69                            /media/hp-envy/HP
├─sda2 ntfs      OS       74B41D8FB41D54C8                     /media/hp-envy/OS
├─sda3 ntfs      Recovery 14DC8220DC81FC6C                     
└─sda1 ntfs      SYSTEM   8E8618B88618A32F                     /media/hp-envy/SY

original question:

• Windows 7 died on HP Envy 6.
• Ubuntu 16.04 via 'make startup disk' made on another computer
• Ubuntu tutorial followed

• The installation stops at 'Installation type' screen:

  1. dia doesn't look like tutorial
  2. only flash drive (/dev/sdc) is pre-shown under 'device' (and nothing is active in this window)

  3. under this window 'device for boot loader installation' there are 2 items:

     • /dev/sdc
     • /dev/sda

     /sda should be OK (extended hard disk run + enough space) but the install doesn't 'grab' it.

• Read on Ask Ubuntu that manufacturers may protect /sda

• Failed at restore factory defaults on BIOS. Error message: "insert a Windows boot disk and click Repair your computer." I don't have a Windows disk (no optical disk drive and no disk).
• Ask Ubuntu says something about changing values of SATA in BIOS.
• I don't see any SATA in BIOS.
• I see SATA in terminal in when running Try Ubuntu via flash drive.
• I don't know how to change SATA.
• I know how to copy/paste a command in the terminal.

Sorry if I missed something crucial. Please be kind, I am an old mum born and bred before computers who just got into Linux. It took me a week of study of Linux to get to the point where the flash drive is actually booting.

I must say: I love Linux. I am fed up with Windows, which makes it more and more difficult for non-pro users like me to talk directly to the machine. I refuse Windows 10 and smart phones because of all these apps I can't configure (and which spy on me). I think with a little help from you guys, I can manage to run Linux.

Answer 1

It looks like you've set up some "fake" RAID with your Intel storage chipset. Such setups are problematic and discouraged with Ubuntu (and Linux in general) because they're proprietary and thus not well supported and offer less features and no better performance than software RAID in Linux (via dm/mdadm).

Unfortunately you can't trivially convert fake RAID setups to plain drives. You'll need to back up the partitions, change the SATA setting in the system BIOS from RAID to AHCI and restore the partitions. You may need to restore Microsoft's bootloader (using Microsoft's tools) afterwards but at least you won't have to reinstall Windows from scratch.

You can also try to run the Ubuntu installer from within the live system (Try Ubuntu mode). If you start the installer directly from the boot menu it won't probe for uncommon (and even some common) storage setups like yours. However, the bootloader Grub that Ubuntu sets up may need some additional, manual configuration to recognise the fake RAID setup for a successful boot after the Ubuntu installation.