Bios problem

[Admar]

I installed AlmaLinux on my HP dv6375ea laptop. It was working properly. When I turn it on the next day, random letters appear on the screen. It's like another language. I reinstalled the bios. did not change. vista,windows 7,10,11 loading. It works smoothly. When I install Almalinux, random letters appear on the screen. The program does not open.

[Alden4]

Hi @Admar,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

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

It seems like the issue might be related to how AlmaLinux interacts with your HP Pavilion dv6375ea laptop's BIOS or firmware. This problem could arise from an incompatibility between AlmaLinux and your system's graphical interface or the way AlmaLinux is configured to display during boot.

Here are steps to diagnose and potentially resolve the issue:

Update BIOS Firmware

• Make sure your BIOS firmware is fully updated to the latest version provided by HP for your model.
  • If the update you performed was older, download the latest BIOS from the HP Support Website.
  • Follow HP’s instructions for creating a BIOS update USB and updating the BIOS safely.

Use Legacy Mode Instead of UEFI (or vice versa)

• If your BIOS supports both UEFI and Legacy boot modes, try switching between them:
  • Boot into the BIOS setup (usually by pressing F10 during startup).
  • Look for Boot Options and toggle between UEFI and Legacy mode.
  • Reinstall AlmaLinux with the new boot mode.

Test with Different Boot Parameters

AlmaLinux might be struggling with your graphics hardware during boot. Modify the kernel boot parameters as follows:

Access the GRUB Menu:

• Hold Shift during boot to bring up the GRUB menu.
• Select the AlmaLinux boot entry and press E to edit.

Edit Boot Parameters:

• Find the line starting with linux or linuxefi and add one of the following at the end:
  • nomodeset
  • noapic
  • acpi=off
  • pci=noacpi

Boot using these modified parameters by pressing Ctrl+X or F10.

Test AlmaLinux in Compatibility Mode

If AlmaLinux has a rescue or compatibility mode, try booting into it. This can be selected during the installation or from the GRUB menu.

[Alden4]

Try a Different Graphics Driver

If the issue is related to your GPU driver:

• Boot AlmaLinux in recovery mode or single-user mode.
• Identify and reinstall graphics drivers:

sudo lshw -c video
sudo dnf install xorg-x11-drv-<driver_name>
 

Check AlmaLinux Image Integrity

Verify the AlmaLinux ISO you downloaded:

• Use sha256sum to check the integrity of the ISO file against the checksum provided by AlmaLinux.
• Recreate your bootable USB using a reliable tool like Rufus or dd.

Install AlmaLinux with Minimal Configuration

Perform a minimal install of AlmaLinux (without a graphical interface) to see if the issue lies with the desktop environment. If the minimal install works:

• Install graphical packages later:

sudo dnf groupinstall "Server with GUI"
 

Consider Kernel Compatibility

Older hardware sometimes has issues with newer kernels. Try:

• Installing AlmaLinux with an older kernel version.
• Alternatively, test a lightweight distro like CentOS Stream, Fedora, or even Ubuntu-based distros to identify compatibility issues.

If none of these solutions resolve the problem, share the following details for more targeted assistance:

• The exact error message or appearance of "random letters."
• A photo of the screen showing the problem.
• Logs from AlmaLinux (if you can access them via recovery mode).

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