Boring desktop PC question - Ubuntu install help pls

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Boring desktop PC question - Ubuntu install help pls

37 posts & 16 voices | Started 1 year ago by The Flying Ox | Latest reply from CharlieMungus

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The Flying Ox - Member

I have an OLD desktop that I built up about 7 years ago. Problem I'm having is it was uselessly slow with Windows XP, so after a lot of success with Ubuntu 10.04 on my laptop I thought I'd give it a go on the desktop.
I'm using the same disc I installed Ubuntu on my laptop with, and have gone for a complete wipe of HDD and install Ubuntu as the only OS. It hangs at 5% during something to do with creating the new 'ext4' partition. Absolutely nothing I've done - including sending it to a PC specialist: they sent it back with a "sorry, can't figure it out" - has sorted this out and I'm now just wondering if it's more hassle than it's worth. I'm now stuck with an empty and unusable HDD, and at best can only run Ubuntu from the LiveCD, although even that hangs on a regular basis.

Any STW computer boffins got any ideas, before I bin it and start trawling eBay?

Cheers

Posted 1 year ago #
anjs - Member

Have you created a new partion on the disk and has it been formated?

Posted 1 year ago #
The Flying Ox - Member

I can't do anything with the disk. The ubuntu CD offered me the option of erasing all data and starting afresh, so I did that. That's when it stuck at 5%.
If I try to use GParted (or whatever it's called) via the LiveCD, it just hangs as well. The PC "specialists" apparently tried a different HDD in my machine, and that also froze.

Totally confused.

Posted 1 year ago #
Conqueror - Member

Hold up.

Have you an external drive or usb stick - external storage basically?

Shove the Ubuntu CD in .. boot into live mode.. get everything important off the windows partition and put it onto the external storage (so you dont lose it).

Then try to delete all the non windows partitions using GParted. Just do this nothing more. Come back out. Go back into Ubuntu. You should now just have the Windoze NTFS or FAT32 partion and the rest of the disk a blank canvas. Use the auto partiting mode or specify the main / partition the size you want and a swap partition the same size as your ram. Hopefully it then writes these changes and works. If not download UBCD ultimate boot cd (google it). Burn it. Go to hard drive diagnostics tool. Find the one for your manufacturer and see what it says.

Posted 1 year ago #
CharlieMungus - Member

Anyone know how to put it onto a machine with USB only?
I have an Acer One, running linpus, but want to go ububtu, i do have wireless access on it. So can download.

Line by line instructions would be good

Posted 1 year ago #
Conqueror - Member

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/

Posted 1 year ago #
CharlieMungus - Member

is it really as easy as it seems?

if so, ta!

Posted 1 year ago #
Conqueror - Member

ye tis a piece of

Posted 1 year ago #
The Flying Ox - Member

Conqueror

I have no way of getting access to the HDD content. Before I did the Ubuntu thing, I booted up Windows and copied all the files I wanted. Then went to install from the Ubuntu LiveCD and took the option to erase the whole HDD and then install Ubuntu on that "fresh" HDD. That's when it stalled at 5%.

The LiveCD 'Ubuntu-lite' will boot, but using GParted it stalls at 5% again. GParted shows no NTFS/FAT32 partition, just a boot partition and a swap partition (both 2 GB) and a 76 GB chunk of something else, maybe /ext3 -can't remember exactly, but sometimes it shows this and sometimes it just shows 76 GB of blank HDD. In addition to this, the LiveCD Ubuntu often just hangs for no reason as well.

After thinking about this for a while, would my desktop spec cause any issues? Specifically the 1 x 256MB and 1 x 512MB RAM stick combo I'm using. It worked OK in XP for a while, but I seem to remember reading that mixing different RAM isn't ideal.

Posted 1 year ago #
TheBrick - Member

Put live cd in, mount the HD. Open terminal.

Go here section 4c

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?style=printable&full=1#book_part1_chap4

Just go as far as remove all partitions, this should remove any mess. Then try and install from cd again.

Posted 1 year ago #
Waderider - Member

I've had this problem.

Find and download the alternative install CD. I think that is what worked for me. Available here.

I'd go for 10.04LTS myself if you want to avoid future computer jiggery pokery, as it is supported for longer.

Posted 1 year ago #
wheeliejim - Member

You can check your memory configuration by running memtest86 which should be a boot option of your Ubuntu CD. I highly recommend doing this.

You could try taking one stick of memory out if this shows errors.

Posted 1 year ago #
The Flying Ox - Member

I've tried the memtest86, and it shows no errors.

Posted 1 year ago #
samuri - Member

Have you rebuilt your USB stick?

Posted 1 year ago #
The Flying Ox - Member

It's an OLD desktop on which the bios doesn't support boot-from-USB, so I just have the LiveCD. I know the LiveCD works cos I used it to install Ubuntu on my laptop.

Posted 1 year ago #
samuri - Member

how long ago? Create a new cd.

Posted 1 year ago #
Conqueror - Member

hmm you could try downlaoding the Ultimate boot CD and using a partition tool to create the partitions instead of booting into Ubuntu live to do it.

Ranish partition manager on UBCD is pretty decent, cant remember if it can create an EXT4 though.

If your memtest was ok there should be no issue with that memory setup. Sometimes voltages can cause problems if the power supply isnt supplying the correct voltage or its set too low or high in the BIOS. But you would expect memtest to complain if theres a problem.

I believe a Gparted dedicated ISO image also exists. But id probably get UBCD. It is only about 100mb download.

Posted 1 year ago #
Waderider - Member

My answer may not solve your problem, but I have to say there is some guff typed on this thread.

Posted 1 year ago #
Conqueror - Member

Waderider what guff is that then?

Posted 1 year ago #
chewkw - Member

This is a good website so have a look.

Here everything you need to know about Linux or Linux related step by step guide.

Linux etc

Simply click on any of the Linux icon and you get the guide.

Posted 1 year ago #
Cougar - Member

Right.

How old is old? Is it an IDE or SATA drive? If it's SATA, go into BIOS and look to either enable IDE compatibility mode or disable AHCI (it's the same thing, worded differently).

Again in BIOS, see if there's any 'boot sector protection' or 'virus protection' enabled and disable it if so.

See if you've an option to "reset configuration data" or "reset ESCD" in BIOS and select it. (this is a one-shot deal and will change back after you reboot, this is normal).

Look on the website for the manufacturer of your motherboard, see if there's an updated BIOS available.

+1 for 'try another CD' - download Ubuntu again, seems to be the common denominator here. Perhaps try a different version.

It's been a while, but are you forced to go for ext4 partitions? Try using ext3 instead?

Did it work back when you had Windows on it?

+1 also for PenDriveLinux - I use this a lot at the moment, I've got a heavily customised UBCD on a stick along with a LiveCD (persistent) Ubuntu install and various rescue tools. It's fantastic.

Posted 1 year ago #
Cougar - Member

(In the interests of balance / revenge, there's always nLite... http://www.nliteos.com/nlite.html )

Posted 1 year ago #
luked2 - Inactive

If you can install in non-graphical mode then if it's crashing you will see the crash dump, which might offer a clue.

Posted 1 year ago #
The Flying Ox - Member

I forgot to mention - I've also tried Kubuntu and Mythbuntu LiveCDs. All hang when creating the partitions.

I'll try everyone's suggestions when I get home from work (a week on Monday). Thanks for your time so far.

Posted 1 year ago #
CharlieMungus - Member

As an aside. I managed to install using USB only. Was a problem with the release version a few days ago, but fine and dandy now!

I started from the Ubuntulinux site

Posted 1 year ago #
brassneck - Member

How about using advanced partitioning and using ext3 instead?

99.99% of install problems I've had have been solved by using the alternate install CD with an ncurses interface.. but then most of them have been video card / X related.

Posted 1 year ago #
woody2000 - Member

I think the PC in question has been binned by the repair shop chaps!

Posted 1 year ago #
xiphon - Member

Do an MD5 check of the downloaded ISO, and check the CD is burnt correctly.

I would also recommend using the Alternate CD too, due to the low specs of the PC.

Posted 1 year ago #
CharlieMungus - Member

yes, the MD5SUM pinpointed the problem for me. But even that was easy to do.

Posted 1 year ago #
The Flying Ox - Member

Yes, this is the binned PC. I'm sure each and every one of your suggestions would have worked though

Posted 1 year ago #
Hairychested - Member

A different copy should sort you out.
BTW Ubuntu 10.10 seems better, I use it on a Pentium M laptop easily.
Kbuntu, Lbuntu or Ubuntu Mobile are lighter on resource too.

Posted 1 year ago #
BigButSlimmerBloke - Member

+1 on the different CD
use gparted to delete existing partitions then reboot then try an ext3 install - writing over existing partitions is just a pain

Posted 1 year ago #
CharlieMungus - Member

Try unbinning your PC then installing as we suggested

Posted 1 year ago #
Hairychested - Member

As CharlieMungus says, USB tends to be better. It won't take almost any time at all and I never had any issues installing.
And go for the Meerkat

Posted 1 year ago #
Cougar - Member

You Linux guys really don't read threads before you reply, do you...!

(-:

Posted 1 year ago #

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