Hello to all Linux fans,

I have got an old Lenovo Ideapad 320 laptop for free with an old Windows 10 running rather badly and slowly and would therefor like to put Linux on it.

I searched google and youtube and I got several “solutions” to boot into the boot-menu:
– F2
– F12
– Fn and F2
– Fn and F12
And then there are several combinations:
– press F2 once
– press F2 repeatedly
– press F12 once
– press F12 repeatedly
– press Fn once and F2 once
– press Fn once and F2 repeatedly
– press Fn and F2 repeatedly
– press Fn once and F12 once
– press Fn once and F12 repeatedly
– press Fn and F12 repeatedly
I tried all combinations to no avail.

I know I can boot from within Windows 10: setup, recovery. But I want to enter the bootmenu directly without having to start Windows first.

I would be very grateful when anybody knows how to get into the boot-menu!

Kind regards,
Paul

 

Are you holding down Fn and repeatedly pressing F2?

 

Yes, that was one of the possibilities I had tried but did not mention in my question.

 

O-M-G!!!! I had read about this NOVO knob, but I did not understand how to use it. But this video made it even for my noob being very clear.
Thank you Edna_Uebel!!!

 

Thank you all for reading and the tips.

And although I can solve my problem, but I find the solution from Lenovo very strange, the least to say. Why not a simple key press, like many others do? A key stroke is always present on a laptop, a paperclip isn't...

 

Glad I could help.

I don't own a Lenovo myself, but while researching yesterday I read that the NOVO button on newer models is now a real button. (And not a button in a hole.) Also, on newer models, you can access the BIOS by pressing F12.
On my Asus laptop, you hold down the F2 key, switch on the laptop and you are immediately in the BIOS. That's the way it should be! However, I have a Synology NAS where you also have to poke a hole with a sharp object to reset the NAS.

 

I have had several computers and indeed it is as you say: press F2, F12 or DEL to get into the boot-menu. How difficult can it be?
The place where I got this laptop for free, bought new laptops, also Lenovo and......again....with this hole....pfff....Thank God there are smart and kind people to help less savvy members!

 

Well, in tests-reports Lenovo are performing pretty good. They are working good, it is just the way they implemented the boot-menu is rather clumsy to put it mildly. If you know how, it is okay. But then, it is always okay if you know how. But that is often the problem: HOW......

 

I also had to google it, but as said, I couldn't find it. And the use of the hole was not obvious to me when reading manuals and viewing youtube videos. The video from dear Edna_Uebel was very good, even while I did not understand one word the guy was explaining!

I still have no clue why Lenovo choose for this "solution". It must be money related, but how is making a hole that has to be punched cheaper than pressing a key?