Fix Ubuntu Not Showing in UEFI Boot Manager on HP Dual Boot Laptops

ByThe Answerlode Editorial Team

Why Ubuntu Doesn’t Appear in OS Boot Manager

Your situation is frustrating but fixable. The core issue: your HP’s firmware is prioritizing Windows in the UEFI boot order, so the GRUB bootloader on your Ubuntu drive never gets a chance to display its menu. The fact that you can boot Linux via F9 and GRUB loads when selected proves the bootloader exists and works. The problem is pure boot order priority.

Windows Fast Startup Locks the EFI Partition

Here’s the sneaky part most dual-boot guides skip: Windows Fast Startup isn’t a full shutdown. It’s a hybrid state that hibernates the kernel and keeps the disk locked. When your firmware tries to read the EFI partition where GRUB lives, Windows still has it locked, so the firmware can’t load GRUB at all.

Disable it immediately. Open PowerShell as administrator and run:

powercfg /h off

This forces a full shutdown and releases the EFI partition lock. Do this first before trying anything else.

Check Boot Order with efibootmgr

Boot into Ubuntu (via F9), then open a terminal and run:

efibootmgr

This shows all your UEFI boot entries with their priority order. Look for entries labeled Windows Boot Manager and ubuntu or GRUB. The boot order is set by the numbers on the left; whichever is listed first is tried first at startup.

To change the boot order and make Ubuntu first, use:

sudo efibootmgr -o XXXX,YYYY

where XXXX is your Ubuntu entry number and YYYY is Windows. For example, if ubuntu is Boot0002 and Windows is Boot0001, you’d run:

sudo efibootmgr -o 0002,0001

After this, restart and your GRUB menu should appear before Windows gets a chance.

If efibootmgr Changes Don’t Stick

Some HP BIOS implementations ignore boot order changes made from Linux. If that happens, you’ll need to go directly into BIOS. Restart, press F10 (or ESC then F10 on your model) to enter BIOS setup.

Navigate to System Configuration, then look for Boot Options or Boot Priority. You should see entries like “ubuntu (Toshiba…)” or “Windows Boot Manager.” Use F6 or arrow keys to move Ubuntu to the top. Save with F10 and exit.

If Ubuntu still doesn’t show in the BIOS boot list, you may need to manually add a UEFI boot entry. Look for an “Add Boot Option” button and point it to the GRUB EFI file, which is typically located at \EFI\ubuntu\grubx64.efi or \EFI\ubuntu\shimx64.efi on your Ubuntu partition.

The Secure Boot Complication

If you have UEFI Secure Boot enabled, check whether your Ubuntu installation is using shim and signed GRUB. On older HP machines running Windows 10, Secure Boot sometimes blocks unsigned bootloaders. Most modern Ubuntu installations handle this automatically, but if boot entries aren’t being recognized at all, try disabling Secure Boot temporarily in BIOS (Security tab) to see if that’s the culprit. Once you confirm Ubuntu boots with it off, re-enable it and the system should work.

Why Your Windows Drive Partitions Are Greyed Out

The greyed-out partitions in Windows Disk Manager are a separate symptom of the same root issue: Windows doesn’t recognize the Ubuntu drive’s EFI partition because it’s formatted in a way Windows doesn’t natively handle. This is normal and harmless. You don’t need to assign a drive letter to it. Linux partitions are meant to stay hidden from Windows. The fact that Device Manager sees the drive at all is enough to know the hardware is detected.

Quick Checklist

Before you resort to reinstalling:

  • Disable Windows Fast Startup (run powercfg /h off from admin PowerShell)
  • Boot into Ubuntu via F9 and check efibootmgr output
  • If Ubuntu entry exists, reorder it to come first with sudo efibootmgr -o
  • Restart and see if GRUB menu appears
  • If not, enter BIOS (F10) and manually set Ubuntu as the primary boot device
  • If Ubuntu doesn’t appear in BIOS at all, manually add the GRUB EFI file as a boot option

Most users find success at step three. HP’s BIOS is more rigid than some, so the BIOS-level changes (steps four and five) are occasionally necessary on older models like the DV7t.

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