Can I boot memtest86+ if I'm using UEFI?

Question

Downloaded the Ubuntu 16.04.2 .iso install disk and flashed it onto a USB stick.

Booting on the USB stick, there is no memtest86+ option (along with "Try Ubuntu").

Is there a way to add it to the install options?

(it's for a UEFI boot PC running normally Windows, its owner does not want to install Ubuntu. "memtest86+" is completely free (unlike "memtest86"), but is quite old, and does not offer a UEFI boot - this is why having it within the Ubuntu options makes things easier)

Solution 1

Memtest86+ does not work in UEFI mode

Memtest86+ does not work in UEFI mode because it is a 16-bit program. But if you can boot the computer in BIOS (CSM, legacy) mode, it works.

See: Where is the memtest option on the Ubuntu 64-bit live CD?.

Memtest86 works in UEFI mode

There is another version, the 'original' but now not FOSS version memtest86, and it works in UEFI mode. There is a commercial version and a free version (no cost, but not open source code).

See: www.memtest86.com/download.htm.

Adding newest freeware memtest86 to UEFI Grub2

Here is a great tutorial on how to add the freeware memtest86 to UEFI Grub2. It's especially useful if you are working on a remote machine, and inserting a physical usb is out of the question.

See this Ubuntu oriented tutorial.

See this example of doing this on a remote server, but based on the above tutorial.

Solution 2

Is there a way to add it to the install options?

No.

Best alternative: create a live boot memtest usb/dvd. You can create it from Linux, Mac or Windows (basically they provide an installer for all three but the software itself is identical).

For UEFI you need the MemTest86 v7 Free Edition version (link below downloads that one). Instructions for the USB version (there is also a DVD version and a floppy disk version at the links above):

Create a bootable USB Flash drive:

• Download the Linux/Mac MemTest86 USB image.
• UN-tar the package (tar xvzf MemTest86-*-usb.tar.gz). An image file and a
• README file will be created in the current directory. Follow instructions in the README to write the USB flash disk.

Pretty generic.

Solution 3

According to this discussion it can't run in UEFI mode because it's a 16-bit program.
If available, booting the live USB (or DVD) in Legacy/CSM (AKA "BIOS mode") should bring the memtest86+ option you want to the live menu.

Comments

[Rinzwind]

unlike "memtest86". The PRO version is not free. But you want "MemTest86 v7 Free Edition" ... and that one is (as it says in the name)

[Déjà vu]

Thanks, used the free memtest86, but it doesn't have options available, like using multi-cores. So the 86+ is more appealing, will try to install this one later on, on a live support.

[Déjà vu]

Thanks, used the free memtest86, but it doesn't have options available, like using multi-cores. So the 86+ is more appealing, will try to install this one later on, on a live support.

[Déjà vu]

Thanks, used the free memtest86, but it doesn't have options available, like using multi-cores. So the 86+ is more appealing, will try to install this one later on, on a live support.

[sudodus]

@ringø, You might find it convenient to [extract and] clone memtest86+ from this compressed image file, phillw.net/isos/linux-tools/compressed-images/…

[Rinzwind]

memtest86 v5+ does have multicore but it is unstable. You can use it but it crashes more often than it finishes

[user1133275]

Linux can do memtest unix.stackexchange.com/a/439769/105120

[sudodus]

@user1133275, Thanks for this link. It works for me according to a command line in a comment by Steven Kitt (at that link). :-)