It sounds like you need to press F2 during the self-test at reboot. (maybe Fn-F2 with the laptop keyboard)
Other systems can use del, sometimes.
The timing is important, but you can press multiple times, until the BIOS is accessible.
If a separate screen is plugged in, you may see nothing on the screen during the initial boot, so you will have to start blind, or unplug it…
Nope. Just brings me straight-in to a UEFI Password screen Ive never seen before or ever set up.
My core problem is the default Qubes policy to deny all USB ports upon installation. The one, USB controller (port) I opened-up for my wired mouse doesnt grant access for any other USB device.
I don’t know what else to do except pull the SSD & either zero-fill it as a subservient drive on another computer or replace it all together.
is there a decryption password before grub? This cannot come from Qubes-os, I think.
Maybe you turned on full disk encryption in the uefi/bios? Or someone else?
this could explain why uefi wants a pw to allow changes.
pw may be the same as the disk pw.
If you really never had a uefi/bios password, then either a hardware problem or someone has been messing with your computer.
I think there is no way to remove a setup password. It is stored in the hardware, and probably requires help from ASUS or a hardware hacker.
It could be, for F1,F2,F8 :
F1 = help
F2 = Uefi setup
F8 = Boot select (same on my asus)
Maybe F8 will allow to boot a USB rescue key, and fix the original problem?
(little question) Did you use a machine translator on your post? or an computer to help write it? If you did, if is OK, but it is a good idea to let us know.
Sought to isolate the source of the problem, is it hardware or software, I asked.
*26 years of computer-building hit me between the eyes with “hardware 101”: BIOS doesnt need an OS; a drive (for that matter).
So I removed the M.2 drive from my ASUS Vivobook LT. I booted straight into the BIOS, verifying it was a software hangup within the OS, probably LUKS. Anyway, I manually ESTABLISHED a UEFI Password, tested on the re-boot. NOTE: boot sequence still showed footprint of Qubes, along with UEFI. Iprobably should have made UEFI the priority, but didnt think to.
Successful, I re-installed the M.2 drive, inserted my Qubes OS install USB & booted-up. I had a full Grub menu again. Unsure, I randomly chose ‘Troubleshoot…’ over ‘Rescue…’.
After whatever analysis it did, it prompted a complete re-install, which I did successfully. I’ll never know if ‘Rescue’ would have been quicker, etc.
I was able to successfully boot-up, login to UEFI/ Encrypt/ Desktop & start from scratch, performing updates on default qubes.
My one issue is not being able to disable ‘Fast Boot’; to change the boot order, as-desired. ‘Qubes’ is my default Option #1.
Haha. No machine translator, just me. Never got that one before. Thank you. You may have read my response by now that I resolved the issue & started with a fresh qube install.
Again, thank you for your considerate & thoughtful time & attention.