The attempt to mount a file system with type vfat at /boot/efi failed

chickenlittle2 · 2025-01-04 16:39

Hello,

I have an old netbook on which I had Q4OS 2.7 installed along with an old version of Android (dual boot). As I decided to remove the Android OS, I wanted to do a fresh install of the newest version of Q4OS (5.7). I downloaded the new version, created a bootable USB using rufus and started the installation.

Right now, I am stuck at the "Partition disks" step due to the "The attempt to mount a file system with type vfat in SCSI1 (0, 0, 0), partition #4 (sda) at /boot/efi failed" message after trying to "finish partitioning and write changes to disk". I erased the data on partitions #1 and #3 prior to trying to "finish partitioning and write changes to disk". I have one HDD (320GB) which is partitioned in the following way (partition disk step display below):

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Partition disks

Guided partitioning
Configure software RAID
Configure the Logical Volume Manager
Configure encrypted volumes
Configure iSCSI volumes

SCSI1 (0, 0, 0) (sda) - 320.1 GB ATA Hitachi
#1 primary 107.4 GB K ext4
#2 primary 16.1 GB F swap swap
#3 primary 196.6 GB F ext4 /
#4 primary 16.8 MB B K ESP

SCIS5 (0, 0, 0) (sdb) - 8.0 GB SanDisk Cruzer
#1 primary 8.0 GB B fat32
#2 primary 32.3 kB

Undo changes to partitions
Finish partitioning and write changes to disk

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes:
- Android was installed on partition #1 (sda).
- Q4OS 2.7 was installed on partition #3 (sda). It replaced the original Windows 7 starter OS.
- When I got to this step I erased the data on partitions #1 and #3. There are no more OS installed on the computer.
- sdb is the bootable USB.

I did some research and based on the message, there are various causes of this. The issue seems to be with EFI (partition #4). I am average in terms of computer literacy and the only thing I know about EFI is that it has something to do with the BIOS (if I am not mistaken). Normally, I would try to play with different settings and options but I read somewhere that if I mess up the EFI partition settings it's possible that BIOS can get "damaged" and unusable (that's how I understand it).

Could it be that I am stuck at this step because of the way the partitions are setup right now due to previous systems installation? How can I get past this message to continue Q4OS installation?

I would appreciate any help as right now I have no OS installed on this device.

Below are more options and partitions settings in the "Partition disk" step:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guided partitioning

Partitioning method:
Guided - use entire disk
Guided - use entire disk and set up LVM
Guided - use entire disk and set up encrypted LVM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Partition #1 of SCSI1 (0, 0 , 0) (sda) - settings

Use as: ext4 journaling file system
Format the partition: no, keep existing data
Mount point: none
Mount options: defaults
Bootable flag: off

Resize the partition (currently 107.4 GB)
Erase data on this partition
Delete this partition
Done setting up the partition

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Partition #2 of SCSI1 (0, 0 , 0) (sda) - settings

Use as: swap area
Bootable flag: off

Resize the partition (currently 16.1 GB)
Erase data on this partition
Delete this partition
Done setting up the partition

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Partition #3 of SCSI1 (0, 0 , 0) (sda) - settings

Use as: ext4 journaling file system
Format the partition: yes, format it
Mount point: /
Mount options: defaults
Bootable flag: off

Resize the partition (currently 196.6 GB)
Erase data on this partition
Delete this partition
Done setting up the partition

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Partition #4 of SCSI1 (0, 0 , 0) (sda) - settings

Use as: EFI System Partition
Bootable flag: on

Erase data on this partition
Delete this partition
Done setting up the partition

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

hchiper · 2025-01-04 18:20

chickenlittle2 wrote:

As I decided to remove the Android OS, I wanted to do a fresh install of the newest version of Q4OS (5.7).
(...)
Could it be that I am stuck at this step because of the way the partitions are setup right now due to previous systems installation? How can I get past this message to continue Q4OS installation?

If you want to have only the latest version of Q4OS, I think it would be easier to let the installer use the whole disk to install Q4OS 5. Did you at least see that option?

chickenlittle2 · 2025-01-04 19:19

I believe so.

When I start the computer, I get a black screen with the following messages:

Failed to open \EFI\BOOT - Not Found
Welcome to GRUB!

Then, the installer boots and I get the following options:

Q4OS Classic Install
Q4OS No questions, FULL automated
Advanced options...

If I select the first option, I go through the installation steps and get to the "Partition disks" step. That's where I can use "Guided partitioning -> Guided - use entire disk".

chickenlittle2 · 2025-01-04 21:50

Selecting the installation using the entire disk allowed me to get past the "Partition disk" step. However, the installation never completed as the computer froze. I tried the installation process several times and the computer kept randomly freezing at different steps, sometimes right after starting the installation and sometimes just before the completion.

Then, I tried installing Q4OS 4.13. I did not get the message "Failed to open \EFI\BOOT - Not Found", only "Welcome to GRUB!". The installation process also did not complete as the computer froze.

Then, I tried installing Q4OS 2.7 (the one I previously had installed) and everything went well until the end during the "Install the GRUB boot loader on a hard disk" step. That's when I got this message:

Unable to install GRUB in /dev/sda
Executing 'grub-install /dev/sda' failed.
This is a fatal error.

chickenlittle2 · 2025-01-05 16:31

To rule out the computer, I tried installing another Linux distribution and it worked. I prefer Q4OS but it will have to do until I figure out how to overcome Q4OS installation issues.

Not sure why the computer is freezing while trying to install later versions (4.13 and 5.7) of Q4OS and why I can't reinstall the old version (2.7) which worked perfectly.

hchiper · 2025-01-05 18:09

Perhaps you could first delete one by one all 4 partitions, then try to install again.

chickenlittle2 · 2025-01-08 02:10

I had erased data on those partitions but did not delete the partitions. Now, all of the partitions were combined into one when I installed the other Linux distribution.

I think the Q4OS installation issue could be related to BIOS Legacy vs UEFI. I have BIOS Legacy and Q4OS requires UEFI. But I don't understand how I was able to install Q4OS 2.7 before and can't now.

crosscourt · 2025-01-08 03:51

Q4OS doesnt require UEFI but can run with UEFI. I have many systems not using UEFI that are running Q4OS both Trinity and KDE. You may be having some drive issues such as file corruption that caused some issues. Doing a fresh install on a clean drive might clear things up.

hchiper · 2025-01-08 06:36

I think the problem is that you have EFI things on your drive (how they appeared on a BIOS Legacy system is a mystery to me). Deleting all the 4 partitions might solve the issue.
And you'll get back a full 320 GB available for your new OS (otherwise it would be installed on one of the 107.4 GB or 196.6 GB partition, the other one being wasted disk space).

Last edited by hchiper (2025-01-08 07:08)

q4osteam · 2025-01-08 10:40

We would recommend you to delete all the existing partitions on the disk, as said by @hchiper.
Afterwards run Q4OS installer, it supports both UEFI as well as legacy BIOS, exactly the same way as plain Debain.

chickenlittle2 · 2025-01-08 22:29

I reinstalled from zero on the entire disk (one partition). It worked this time. The computer did not freeze. Everything is working properly.

Thank you hchiper, crosscourt and q4osteam! I appreciate your help!!!

crosscourt · 2025-01-08 23:26

Glad you got it working!

Q4OS Forum

#1 2025-01-04 16:39

The attempt to mount a file system with type vfat at /boot/efi failed

#2 2025-01-04 18:20

Re: The attempt to mount a file system with type vfat at /boot/efi failed

#3 2025-01-04 19:19

Re: The attempt to mount a file system with type vfat at /boot/efi failed

#4 2025-01-04 21:50

Re: The attempt to mount a file system with type vfat at /boot/efi failed

#5 2025-01-05 16:31

Re: The attempt to mount a file system with type vfat at /boot/efi failed

#6 2025-01-05 18:09

Re: The attempt to mount a file system with type vfat at /boot/efi failed

#7 2025-01-08 02:10

Re: The attempt to mount a file system with type vfat at /boot/efi failed

#8 2025-01-08 03:51

Re: The attempt to mount a file system with type vfat at /boot/efi failed

#9 2025-01-08 06:36

Re: The attempt to mount a file system with type vfat at /boot/efi failed

#10 2025-01-08 10:40

Re: The attempt to mount a file system with type vfat at /boot/efi failed

#11 2025-01-08 22:29

Re: The attempt to mount a file system with type vfat at /boot/efi failed

#12 2025-01-08 23:26

Re: The attempt to mount a file system with type vfat at /boot/efi failed

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