Ubuntu

Ubuntu will not install to Hard Drive

Asked by Rivenage

I have been having problems with installing Ubuntu to a hard drive. If i disconnect the hard drive and boot the Ubuntu disk, the desktop will load and I can connect to the internet and do basically anything that does not require saving files to a hard disk. But.. When I try to "Install or Start Ubuntu" with the hard disk connected to the computer, it will start to run and the progress bar will move back and for about 10 seconds and then freeze. I have reformatted the hard disk with one partition in NTFS by connecting it to another PC running XP. This PC has no problems recognizing the hard drive and reading or writing files to it. I am guessing I must do some additional work to the hard drive in order to prepare it to install Ubuntu, however I have been unable to find additional help in this forum. The BIOS does detect the hard drive. But the install does not get as far as selecting the language, it freezes before that every time I try to boot and "Install or Start Ubuntu" as long as the hard drive is connected. Could someone please help me give this hard drive some life support.

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Solved
For:
Ubuntu Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Solved by:
Rivenage
Solved:
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#1

Try to boot fom Ubuntu live install cd using some commons parameters.
First i suggest you to disable dma the parameter to add is nodma
you can find the boot options howto here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions

And try to install...

Below some useful info and checks if you are still in trouble.

Some common check using first boot menu Ubuntu live cd options...
This: http://i18.tinypic.com/6tzzndc.jpg
Try to perform the "Memory test" and the "Check cd for defects"

Here some other related pages:

First must have Ubuntu 7.10 live install cd i suggest you the Standard personal Computer (is the 32 bit version)
Download it from: http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

Then burn the downloaded iso image to a cd at lower speed you can do (4x).
Here a good howto https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto

If you are installing Ubuntu on a already installed Windows...
Here a video http://screencasts.ubuntu.com/Installing_Ubuntu_with_Windows_Dual-Boot

Usually you don't need of any drivers with Linux

If you have any issue this q&a will help you

Hope this helps

Revision history for this message
Rivenage (paul-siebert) said : 		#2

Disabling the DMA did not help any. When the disk drive is connected to the PC it refuses to start up the desktop. We did verify the disk for defects and run a memory test, all came out okay. I think we will look at purchasing a new hard drive. It just does not make sense to us that the hard drive will run normally when connected to a computer running XP but will refuse to allow Ubuntu to load the desktop.
The Live CD was burned at 4x for luck, and the Hard drive no longer has any other operating system on it.
We did try another hard drive to make sure it wasn't anything else that was wrong and to see if it would boot up properly, and it seemed to work, although we did not go through with the instalation because that hard drive is from another operating computer.
Thanks for your help, if you can provide any other suggestions that would be great, otherwise we will hit up the store and look for a new hard drive.

Revision history for this message
Gaspard Leon (gaspard.leon) said : 		#3

also, try using the

all_generic_ide

(kernel boot parameter), that allowed me to install...

(press F6 at LIVE CD boot screen and) delete "quiet" parameter (so you can see where is hangs) and try the all_generic_ide parameter

Revision history for this message
didjedi (didjedi) said : 		#4

I'm having a similar issue though I believe that my problem relates to the the video driver.

I've used and installed Ubuntu before so I am familiar with the install process....

The PC I'm installing has two video cards installed...the on board generic card and an Nvidia card.

Once I select the Start and Install option from the menu, the Ubuntu slider/progress bar does it's thing then the screen goes blank as though not receiving a video feed (using the nvidia card)

I then switch the monitor cable to the other video card (the generic on board card) and I get video but it's scrambled making it impossible to complete the installation.

I've tried various resolutions within the Ubuntu Installation menu, but nothing is working.

Any Ideas?

Revision history for this message
Rivenage (paul-siebert) said : 		#5

We did come across that problem. I think we got around it once we removed the hard drive, and it continued with no video problems. We do run into the same video problems as you mention, and resorted to using the safe video mode install and using an old CRT monitor. We would probably have to install additional drivers once we got it installed in order to use different video settings. But even when we swapped in old equipment and the hard drive was connected we would see the scrambled screen or a blank screen. It would only get past that point once we disconnected the hard drive.

Revision history for this message
Rivenage (paul-siebert) said : 		#6

We tried the all_generic_ide function and it did not freeze on us during install. However it did stop during the installation and provide us a busybox prompt. We are unsure of what to do at this point. Could you please provide some guidance?

Revision history for this message
marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#7

Please reboot your pc and starting with Ubuntu live cd please try to put some common Ubuntu kernel live cd options you can find the boot options howto here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions
First parameter you can try by put them one by one or together are:
noacpi nolapic nodma all_generic_ide

If this don't work i suggest you to download and burn on a cd at lower speed you can do (4x)
here an howto https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto
the Ubuntu alternate install cd iso image ( ubuntu-7.10-alternate-i386.iso ) you can download this cd from here: http://releases.ubuntu.com/7.10/

Hope this helps

Revision history for this message
Rivenage (paul-siebert) said : 		#8

While the all_generic_ide command line did prevent locking up during the install, nothing allowed us to load the desktop. Today we went out an purchased a new hard drive, plugged it in, and we had no problems. We have determined that the boot sector of the old hard drive must have been damaged. This is what would allow us to use the hard drive as a secondary drive for storage, but not usable for boots. Thanks for all of your help. I hope this may be of use to future visitors first using Ubuntu for the first time.