Any suggestions on the following? -- sorry for the length

I installed Linux Mint xfce (currently 19.3) on my older HP Pavilion notebook (64 bit) containing a 320 GB Samsung Hard Disk. I was given the computer and only used it a few times (MS Vista OS) before installing Linux. I did not have any problem with it coming on during that time. After loading Linux I have experienced one of three results after switching it on:

• it “beeps” the drive and displays ‘No Bootable device – insert boot disk’

• it “beeps” the drive a couple of time, goes dark for a while, displays the Linux Mint logo for a while, and then displays ‘Busy_Box v1.27.2 (Ubuntu 1:1.27.l2ubuntu3.2) built-in shell (ash) with a command line which can be used to display a bunch of commands – the system does not load

• if goes through the usual process and loads

For the first two I turn the computer off and then back on and it usually loads. Once the system is running I have no problems with the drive even if I restart the computer.

Of course, I suspect the drive is “bad” but I recall back when I was swapping drives in desktops, I would occasionally run across a drive that would not “position properly’ when the computer turned off – we would put that drive in a different computer and never have a problem.

So, could my problem here be caused by Linux?

Larry Thomas