Ubuntu 26.04 installer does not launch from USB

Support and Help
,
1

Hello,

I am having a problem installing Ubuntu 26.04 on my Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga Gen 2.

I downloaded the Ubuntu 26.04 Desktop ISO directly from the official Ubuntu website and created a bootable USB using Ubuntu Startup Disk Creator.

When I booted from the USB, I selected the normal Try or Install Ubuntu option. I waited for approximately 30 minutes, but the installer never appeared.

I restarted the computer and tried again using Safe Graphics. I waited for approximately 20 minutes, but the installer still did not launch.

Instead, the Ubuntu desktop eventually loaded. However, I could not find a way to start the installer from the live desktop.

What I tried

  1. Booted the Ubuntu 26.04 installation USB normally.
  2. Selected Try or Install Ubuntu.
  3. Waited approximately 30 minutes — the installer did not launch.
  4. Restarted the computer.
  5. Selected Safe Graphics.
  6. Waited approximately 20 minutes — the installer still did not launch.
  7. The Ubuntu desktop eventually loaded, but I could not start the installer.
  8. I then installed Ubuntu 24.04.3 instead, and the installation completed successfully on the same computer.

Hardware

  • Model: Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga Gen 2
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-1145G7
  • RAM: 16 GB
  • GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
  • Storage: 256 GB SK Hynix NVMe SSD
  • UEFI: Lenovo N39ET75W (1.54)

ISO verification

I downloaded the Ubuntu 26.04 Desktop ISO directly from the official Ubuntu website.

I verified the ISO using SHA256. The checksum I obtained was:

487f87faaf547ea30e0aba4d5b53346292571256b25333a978db1692bcee9dd2

This matches the official SHA256 checksum for:

ubuntu-26.04-desktop-amd64.iso

1 Like
2

If you have another system, can you boot the USB and get a test desktop session working as yuou expect?

2 Likes
3

I haven’t tried that yet. Let me try then I’ll update you.

1 Like
4

Lenovo have security options in the UEFI settings, perhaps you need to disable them e.g.

Secure Boot
TPM (Trusted Platform Module)
TCG (Trusted Computing Group)
PTT (Platform Trust Technology)
FTPM (Firmware Trusted Platform Module)
TPT (Trust Platform Technology)
PSP (Platform Security Processor)
Device Guard (some Lenovo devices)
OS Optimised Defaults (some Lenovo devices)
Lock UEFI BIOS Settings
Boot Order Lock

5 Likes
5

Open a terminal and try

ubuntu-desktop-bootstrap

Possibly, the terminal entry may provide a clue?

1 Like
6

It actually worked on HP Elitebook G3. So the issue most likely is my system.

7

Two more suggestions to try:

Enter BIOS and disable Secure Boot and also check under Storage Configuration or SATA mode, whichever is relevant, and switch to AHCI mode.

Then try again.

And welcome to Ubuntu Discourse :slight_smile:

6 Likes
8

Disabling Secure Boot worked

3 Likes
9

It appears the problem was Secure Boot. I disabled it, and the installation worked.

It’s been more than 20 minutes, and the message on the screen is “Installing the system” Definitely slower than 24.04.3, which took under 5 minutes, but I’m okay with the progress. Thank you.

4 Likes
10

Please make sure you mark @rubi1200’s post as the solution.

3 Likes
11

Actually, it was @tea-for-one who first suggested disabling Secure Boot.

Credit should really go to him :slight_smile:

2 Likes
12

Let me mark @tea-for-one’s post as the solution. Cause it was the first suggestion and it worked. The second by @rubi1200 deserves credit too since both worked. Thank you both.

4 Likes
13

This topic was automatically closed 18 hours after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.