Buffer I/O error, OS not loading

Hi

It sounds to me as tho it might be worth doing a memory check. This should be on the first menu of the Cd just below the options to LiveCd/Usb and/or install.

If you are able to boot up a LiveCd or LiveUsb session then there should already be a partition editor included. Try

System - Administration - Partition Editor

If this does detect a hard-drive then you might be able to right-click on partitions to perform checks.

Alternatively if you can get to a linux command-line then you might be able to use the "fsck" command. For a quick help cheat-sheet on using it try typing

fsck --help

If you can get as far as the grub boot menu with lots of options for booting into Ubuntu then the line with "recovery mode" is worth trying as there are various tools there.

Of course if you have another machine then it might be possible to plug the hard-drive into that and use it as a slave-drive just to see what is left on it.

This guide might have something useful
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/DataRecovery
but it sounds as tho you might need to acquire a 'new' hard-drive, perhaps from an older machine.

A few options to try! Please let us know which you try and how you get on with any of this!
Good luck and regards from
Tom :)

Hi :)

For some reason LiveUsb sessions are also often called "LiveCd" as they run in much the same way but people are slightly more familiar with using the term "LiveCd". Since the real cd is taking ages to boot-up then stick to using LiveUsb when people say LiveCd by mistake ;)

If your cd/dvd-drive AND hard-drive have both been knocked out by something then perhaps an internal lead needs to be unplugged & re-plugged? If they are both on the same flat grey ide ribbon-cable then perhaps try switching the hard-drive onto the other ide ribbon cable? or replug the end that goes to the mbord into the 2nd slot on the mbord? The bios & Windows wont be happy with that but Ubuntu should be able to cope fine.

If you are not confident about messing around inside the case could you still take the side panel off and just look at the insides without touching anything in there? Is there anything that looks obviously wrong? such as blackened scorch marks around flat grey cables? Please let us know in case there is something much simpler than taking the machine to a repair shop

Good luck and regards from
Tom :)

I had to change my internal Hard drive and now my laptop is working, probably the hard drive got corrupted. I have installed 8.04 into it. Tried installing 10.04 beta release, could do so only with alternate install. On installation and booting with 10.04, it was not progressing beyond the initial loading screen and had to reinstall Hardy. I checked the installation disc for errors also, there were none.
I dont know if this installation problem is peculiar to this model of laptop.
regrads
kartik

Hi :)

Please try Ubuntu as a LiveCd/Usb session before installing it in the future. It can save you a lot of time & effort. Also the LiveCd offers boot parameters easily & it sounds as though they might be worth trying out.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCD

Good luck and regards from
Tom :)