Cannot finish installation

Hello,

It looks like a problem with the HD. I would get a tool/utility from the HD manufacturer that is usually available on their site for free and carry out a drive check - read/write and other that the tool provides. In most cases these utilities are available on either floppy or CD format and are bootable. If the tests show a failing or failed HD, just buy a new one and for sure the install will succeed.

Another thing that I'd advise doing, even before HD checking, is to verify the health of install CD; you can do that at the first screen with the ubuntu logo --> I think is the option 3 or 4 and is called check CD for defects: let it run, it'll take several minutes and upon completion you'll see a message whether it passed or not; if it passed then check the HD if it did not then a new download and burn to a new CD required.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Peter b

Thank you, Peter for that information. I have tried to install it on another blank Hard Disk with the same results. I downloaded the tool you suggested from Seagate and both disks pass the long test satisfactorilly. From that, I can assume it is not the fault of the hard drive. Anyway, I am wondering what a hard drive would have to do with the installation. I have previously installed windows 98 and XP on this 20GB drive with no problems. Don't tell me microsoft is better than Ubuntu.

I checked the CD's with the item on the Ubuntu CD previously and it was ok.
These disks were posted to me from canonical.com and it took about two weeks to arrive here so, I assume, they should be in good condition.

I am not too keen to download the program myself because I only have Dial-up and it would take far too long.

Do you or anybody else have any other ideas??

Thank you,

Allan

Allan, do you have the BIOS set such that the PC will boot first from CD? if yes please insert your ubuntu CD into the CD drive and reset the PC -it should boot off the CD and a screen with ubuntu logo and some options should be displayed. Please let us know whether you see this screen.

peter b

Yes the computer is booting off the CD first and I am running through the installation for Ubuntu but it is stopping at about a quarter way through and showing this error message.

OK if the PC boots off CD. Now, there are two kinds of ubuntu CD's --> one is called LIVE CD and the other one is the ALTERNATE CD.

The LIVE CD will NOT INSTALL ON HDD, in other words WILL NOT WRITE ANYTHING TO THE HDD, it will run off CD and memory and have ubuntu installed OFF CD -there was no writing to HDD whatsoever. Only after finished installing OFF CD one would be able to see and perform a HDD INSTALL being prompted by the icon Install on Desktop.

The ALTERNATE CD on the other hand will go straight into INSTALL TO HDD.

Please post which one of the two CD types above you're using.

peter b

Looks like I must have gotten a 'live CD'. I don't know why, if I asked for a cd to be sent because I could not download it on dial-up, I would have thought it would be a cd that I could install on my computer.

Now, how do I install it?? It shows the icon on the desktop but, when I double click on it, all it does is run the program from the CD.
How do I get the 'alternate CD'??

Allan

Thank you Peter for all your help. I have followed all the steps in that site you gave me exactly as instructed.
It still stops part way through the install and places an icon on the desktop called 'target'.

The only thing I can think is that both CD's I was sent are faulty. I will have to leave it for now and find some way to either obtain the correct disks or download it from a broadband connection sometime.

I think you and I both have spent enough time on it at the moment and may try again at a later date.

Allan

Thanks peter b, that solved my question.

Installing Ubuntu 8.10 [Errno 5] My Success Story

My solution to [Errno 5] on Ubuntu install was to remove some RAM modules.

I had great trouble installing 8.10 to my computer (model: HP d330). It took me three days and countless hours researching around the internet. Here is my success story.

I downloaded the ISO and attempted to install from the Live CD. The following error appeared at about 24% of install process:

[Errno 5] Input/output error

This particular error is often due to a faulty CD/DVD disk or drive, or a faulty hard disk. It may help to clean the CD/DVD, to burn the CD/DVD at a lower speed, to clean the CD/DVD drive lens (cleaning kits are often available from electronics suppliers), to check whether the hard disk is old and in need of replacement, or to move the system to a cooler environment.

1. Attempted reburn CD-R at slower speed. Same error.
2. Attempted install with "Alternate CD". Same problem (it froze up somewhere in "copy files to disk" process).
3. Attempted boot from Live CD and double click "Install". NO GO. Wouldn't even start process.
4. Repeated all the above in various ways. Same results.
5. Tried changing the various choices under F6 on boot-up. Freeze or same error.
6. Live CD then begin to hang on boot from CD. Couldn't get anything to do anything.
7. Attempted to install from Flash card (using separate PC to set it up). Booted fine, but same error on install.
8. Attempted many solutions offered on various forums online. Still no luck.
9. Tried noapic options and others to no avail.
10. Tried repartitioning hard drive, and wiping hard drive and etc. etc. etc.
11.Gave up and installed Windows XP. Hated it (as usual). Waited several hours. Kept repeating all the above plus anything I could think of. Redownload ISO. Burn at slower speeds. Try Alternate CD. Try Flash card again. NO LUCK. Fiddle with various settings again.

And then I used the little grey cells in my head (as Poirot would say in an Agatha Christie novel). I remembered someone somewhere suggested RAM error as the culprit. I ran the memory test without a problem (that took many hours!), but still I was supicious about the memory. My PC has four memory slots but with 3 actually memory sticks. 256Mb (original memory stick that came with computer) + 1Gb (cheap no brand stick added later) + 1GB (another added no brand stick). I simply took out the two 1Gb stick and left only the original 256Mb stick and attempted an install. Bang! It worked. No error. No problem (except it was as slow as molassis to install...). After the successful install, I replaced the 2Gb of memory and rebooted. Everything worked out. RAM modules might be faulty but everything seems fine.

I'm not sure if this solution will help everyone. The cause of [Errno 5] might be different for each machine, and sometimes just trying a million attempts leads to an eventual success. But in my case, removing most of the RAM solved the problem.

Finally I can get on with enjoying Ubuntu 8.10.

I am pleased you have successfully installed 8.10. My original problem
was a faulty hard drive.
I have now installed it (version 7) on a different hard drive without
a problem (even though I thought I had downloaded version 8 so I am
now waiting on a CD in the post. When I get it. I will update.

On 11/6/08, dci-Japan <email address hidden> wrote:
> Your question #23617 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/23617
>
> dci-Japan posted a new comment:
> Installing Ubuntu 8.10 [Errno 5] My Success Story
>
> My solution to [Errno 5] on Ubuntu install was to remove some RAM
> modules.
>
> I had great trouble installing 8.10 to my computer (model: HP d330). It
> took me three days and countless hours researching around the internet.
> Here is my success story.
>
> I downloaded the ISO and attempted to install from the Live CD. The
> following error appeared at about 24% of install process:
>
> [Errno 5] Input/output error
>
> This particular error is often due to a faulty CD/DVD disk or drive, or
> a faulty hard disk. It may help to clean the CD/DVD, to burn the CD/DVD
> at a lower speed, to clean the CD/DVD drive lens (cleaning kits are
> often available from electronics suppliers), to check whether the hard
> disk is old and in need of replacement, or to move the system to a
> cooler environment.
>
> 1. Attempted reburn CD-R at slower speed. Same error.
> 2. Attempted install with "Alternate CD". Same problem (it froze up
> somewhere in "copy files to disk" process).
> 3. Attempted boot from Live CD and double click "Install". NO GO. Wouldn't
> even start process.
> 4. Repeated all the above in various ways. Same results.
> 5. Tried changing the various choices under F6 on boot-up. Freeze or same
> error.
> 6. Live CD then begin to hang on boot from CD. Couldn't get anything to do
> anything.
> 7. Attempted to install from Flash card (using separate PC to set it up).
> Booted fine, but same error on install.
> 8. Attempted many solutions offered on various forums online. Still no luck.
> 9. Tried noapic options and others to no avail.
> 10. Tried repartitioning hard drive, and wiping hard drive and etc. etc.
> etc.
> 11.Gave up and installed Windows XP. Hated it (as usual). Waited several
> hours. Kept repeating all the above plus anything I could think of.
> Redownload ISO. Burn at slower speeds. Try Alternate CD. Try Flash card
> again. NO LUCK. Fiddle with various settings again.
>
> And then I used the little grey cells in my head (as Poirot would say in
> an Agatha Christie novel). I remembered someone somewhere suggested RAM
> error as the culprit. I ran the memory test without a problem (that took
> many hours!), but still I was supicious about the memory. My PC has four
> memory slots but with 3 actually memory sticks. 256Mb (original memory
> stick that came with computer) + 1Gb (cheap no brand stick added later)
> + 1GB (another added no brand stick). I simply took out the two 1Gb
> stick and left only the original 256Mb stick and attempted an install.
> Bang! It worked. No error. No problem (except it was as slow as molassis
> to install...). After the successful install, I replaced the 2Gb of
> memory and rebooted. Everything worked out. RAM modules might be faulty
> but everything seems fine.
>
> I'm not sure if this solution will help everyone. The cause of [Errno 5]
> might be different for each machine, and sometimes just trying a million
> attempts leads to an eventual success. But in my case, removing most of
> the RAM solved the problem.
>
> Finally I can get on with enjoying Ubuntu 8.10.
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>