[Discuss] Need help to get a Dell Inspiron to boot

[Yuuri]

Hi!

New to this list (signed up to ask for advice).
Some time ago I bought a notebok called Dell Inspiron, because it had 
been advertisied to be Linux ready. I don't understand why this model 
with Linux pre-installed was not available in Canada or the US, but I 
recall that it was on the market in Europe at that time, and so I 
thought I'll just delete Windows and put Linux on it myself.

The OS (Mint Linux) installed OK, but the laptop doesn't boot from its 
own internal whatever-you-call-that (it's not a disk, apparently, but 
something that works exactly like a disk): there is an error message to 
the effect that a bootable device cannot be found. However, I can boot 
the laptop from a USB with Linux installed, except that I don't want to 
use it that way.

Since I have been living in the Yukon until recently I couldn't get 
support, and two years have passed already (oh no)... now I hope that 
somebody in Victoria might be able to show me what needs to be done to 
finally get the Inspiron to work as it should...

By the way (maybe this is necessary information), I don't have a 
computer running Windows right now, so I can't run a Windows based Linux 
installer, etc. (I have an old and heavy Toshiba laptop and a small Acer 
notebook that both have Puppy Linux installed and boot off their built 
in drives.)

Thanks in advance for hints, etc.!

Regards:
Yuuri

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