Ubuntu

Problem attempting dual boot XP & Ubuntu

Asked by deoldphart

I am trying to install Ubuntu 7.04 for dual-booting on a Windows XP laptop (Dell Inspiron 3800). 19 gig disk partitioned C (NTSF) and D (Fat32) up to about 12 gig so about 7 gig unallocated. BootMagic installed for dual booting.

Problem: When I boot from CD, Ubuntu welcome screen loads OK. I select "start or install" and after a bit of CD spin, the Ubuntu logo and activity bar comes up. Nothing happens for several minutes, then two error messages, 204.464000 and 242.568 referring to Buffer I/O overrun on fd0. After a longer wait, an install process appears to start, eventually progressing to the colored screen and another logo and an error message from Gnome. It continued with intermittent CD and HD activity for 20 minutes or more with no change before I killed it. This happened on several tries.

Oddly enough, some months earlier, when same machine had Win98, I did a complete Ubuntu-only install on the same hardware with no problem. It is just now that I am trying to configure an XP-Ubuntu dual boot. Also, CD drive is functioning normally under XP.

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Solved
For:
Ubuntu Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Solved by:
Mahyuddin Susanto
Solved:
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
Mahyuddin Susanto (udienz) said : 		#1

error with maaseges 204.464000 and 242.568 referring to Buffer I/O overrun on fd0 indicated your floopy disk is error, when installed Ubuntu you can unplug floppy data cable + power

Revision history for this message
deoldphart (richard-rkbroughton) said : 		#2

Thanks, but there is no floppy in the laptop. It is a swapable bay that takes either the CD device or a floppy device. It occurred to me that it could be Ubuntu mistaking the CD device for a floppy, but didn't seem likely as the CD device is functioning fine with XP.

Revision history for this message
Best Mahyuddin Susanto (udienz) said : 		#3

okay, it means the BIOS setting enabled Floopy Drive, please disable

Revision history for this message
deoldphart (richard-rkbroughton) said : 		#4

Ah, that was the right hint, if not exactly the solution. I checked the BIOS setting, but the machine seem to know that the floppy was not in the bay, so the floppy drive was already disabled.

Your suggestion (and the original error messages) got me thinking that the ubuntu disk was looking for a floppy, so in addition to the CD in the regular bay, I plugged the floppy in via the adapter serial cable that came with the system. The machine then recognized the floppy AND the CD as boot sources (as well as HD) . I booted the Ubuntu CD (as I had many times before), but this time the floppy drive made a click or two, and then the Ubuntu CD ran just fine and brought the system up in a couple of minutes.

Thanks for the help. (This is a handy forum.)