HP Envy 17t suddenly stopped asking for my whole-disk passphrase at boot

[tympan]

I installed Linux Mint 22 on my HP Envy 17t with a whole-disk passphrase (as I do with all laptops) but suddenly at boot it has skipped the HP logo and the prompt for the passphrase and booted straight into the OS and asked for my regular user password. 

This is a security breach, although as I rarely take the machine away these days it's not that serious. Much more serious is that I now have no way to enter the BIOS, and I need to change the F-key settings to disable the need for pressing fn.

How to I force the system back to a full pre-BIOS start so that I get the HP logo and can press F12 (or is it F10 on the Envy?)

[Raj_05 · Accepted solution]

Hi @tympan,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

This behavior could be caused by a change in boot settings or a bypass of the pre-boot environment (e.g., Secure Boot, UEFI settings, or GRUB configuration). Here's a step-by-step guide to resolve the issue.

Restore BIOS Access

Since the system boots straight into Linux Mint without showing the HP logo, you'll need to interrupt the boot process to access the BIOS.
 

A. Use the Esc Key

1. Power off your HP Envy 17t completely.
2. Turn it back on and immediately start pressing the Esc key repeatedly.
   • This should bring up the Startup Menu.

B. Access BIOS

• From the Startup Menu, press the appropriate key for the BIOS Setup:
  • Usually F10 for HP laptops.

Check Boot Settings

Once in the BIOS:

Ensure Secure Boot and UEFI Are Enabled:

• Navigate to the Boot Options or Security section.
• Verify that Secure Boot is enabled, and the system is set to boot in UEFI mode.

Reset F-Keys Behavior:

• Go to the System Configuration or Advanced section.
• Look for an option like Action Keys Mode:
  • Enabled: Function keys work without pressing fn.
  • Disabled: You need to press fn + function key.

Save changes and exit the BIOS.

Check Linux Boot Loader (GRUB) Configuration

Linux Mint's GRUB may have been modified to boot directly into the OS. You can reset this behavior:

A. Edit GRUB Temporarily

1. While booting, press and hold Shift to access the GRUB menu.
2. Select Advanced options for Linux Mint or a similar submenu.
3. Boot into recovery mode or a standard kernel.

[Raj_05]

B. Make GRUB Changes Permanent

1. Log into Linux Mint.
2. Open a terminal and edit the GRUB configuration:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub
 

1. Look for the following lines and adjust them as necessary:
   • Ensure the timeout isn't set to 0:

• GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
  
  • Uncomment or add this line to show the menu:
• GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0

1. Save the file and update GRUB:

sudo update-grub
 

Reinstall the Bootloader (If Necessary)

If GRUB seems corrupted or misconfigured:

1. Boot from a live USB with Linux Mint.
2. Open a terminal and reinstall GRUB on the appropriate drive (e.g., /dev/sda):

sudo grub-install /dev/sda 

sudo update-grub
 

Test Boot Sequence

Restart your machine and confirm:

1. The HP logo and BIOS access are restored.
2. The GRUB menu appears before booting into Linux Mint.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Alden4

HP Support 

[tympan]

Thank you!

• Turn it back on and immediately start pressing the Esc key repeatedly.
• [...] 
• Look for an option like Action Keys Mode:

That's all I needed, very many thanks.