Ubuntu STR 25.10 installs but won't boot (lenovo ThinkPad T420)

[Liam Proven]

On Thu, 27 Nov 2025 at 14:34, Ian Bruntlett <ian.bruntlett at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> So I rebooted.  I got a text mode screen, blue background and white text, titled "Boot Menu", looking like this:-
>
> Boot Menu
> Ubuntu
> ATAPI CD0- etc
> ATA HDD:CT1000MX5000SSD1
> PCI LAN etc
>
> It looks like I can't even get to the GRUB screen.
>
> Any ideas?

That's the UEFI boot menu.

A successful UEFI installation of Ubuntu should _add_ an Ubuntu entry
to this list.

I have successfully installed 25.10 on a W520 which is the same age
and closely comparable. It works fine and it's quite fast.

I have also got Pop OS 24.04 on it, and that works fine too, and it is
noticeably fast. It even supports the nVidia 2nd GPU in my machine.

Saying that on my older T420 and my X220, I turn UEFI off and boot
them in BIOS-only mode. I am more familiar with it, it's much simpler
and much easier to troubleshoot.

Ventoy is great but it's important to regularly update your key. It's
non-destructive. I recommend updating it it at least 3-4x a year.

I can confirm Ubuntu 25.10 works fine with Ventoy.

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