dual boot PC how do I access my windows shared files

Asked by Margaret Green

I loaded ubuntu on my XP PC, so I have a dual boot PC. Now I would like to access the files in the windows shared folders on this PC when I boot up in ubuntu. How do I achieve this?

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peter b (b1pete) said :
#1

hello Margaret,

if you go Systems -- > Administration --> Synaptic Package Manager you'll be prompted for admin password, enter it; a window will open then find search button and press it, a new window will open then pls enter

disk-manager

this is a package in the repositories that will be found by the search command and displayed in the main window of synaptic; it'll be a short while until the search is finished so patience pls.

once it shows up right click on the disk-manager and select install then apply button --> the pkge will be downloaded and installed automatically.

there should be a new entry in system --> admin called

disk manager

double click on it and a window will open where you'll see all partitions on installed HDD. the thing is pretty straight forward; if you have any questions re how to use it just post them here and we'll help.

regards,

peter b

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Ariel Cabral (acabral1961) said :
#2

Or may go to Places->Computer and you'll see something like xxxGb media or a unit named by the label you assign in Windows, you can open it by double clicking on it.
Hope this help, let me know.

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Margaret Green (margaret-u-green) said :
#3

Thank you both :) I now have the disk manager and it shows me two devices, loop0 type ext3 and sda1 type ntfs with mount point /host, this looks like my windows filestore, but I don't know what to do next (sorry, I'm rather new to this).

I have looked in places computer but don't see anything that is not the ubuntu installation.

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marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said :
#4

Please make sure you Windows partition have no errors on it.

Booting in Windows force an a complete hard disk check.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265
Then reboot again in Windows and make a clean shutdown.
Be sure to boot in Windows twice and to get a clear Windows shutdown.

hope this helps

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peter b (b1pete) said :
#5

ok Margaret, everything is ok, you've got disk manager installed and it looks like you can access its GUI -great!

now, pls tell me after it opened the main window, do you see two tabs one called General and the other Advanced Configuration ?

if yes which I expect to be the case, would you please tick mark the two buttons - first should be called Detect new devices on start up and the second is called Enable write support. after that is done click on the second tab Advanced Configuration where you should see all partitions on HDD.

pls tell me exactly what you see in the columns

 Enable Device Mount Point Type Total Free Used

for ALL listed. also pls run in a terminal ( hope you know how to do it) the following command

sudo blkid

just for my cross checking the listings above. if you have any qustions re the above pls tell me. we'll continue after your reply post to the above.

peter b

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peter b (b1pete) said :
#6

sorry, I forgot, pls copy and paste in your reply post the output of

sudo blkid

mentioned above as well as the output of

sudo fdisk -l

l above is small L. if you have questions re running cmds in ububuntu as well as copy and paste operations just tell me.

peter b

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Margaret Green (margaret-u-green) said :
#7

Peter B

 in disk manager I see
enable device mount point type total free used
tick loop0 /media/loop0_ ext3 13.0GB blank blank
tick sda1 /host ntfs-3g 76.3GB 19.9GB 56.4GB

when I boot in ububtu I get an error on the drives with the option to ctrl D (this then boots up)

sorry I don't know what a terminal is

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Margaret Green (margaret-u-green) said :
#8

marcobra

I have run chkdsk with automatic repair of files checked but not checking for bad sectors, attempts recovery checked, do I need to run that one too?

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Margaret Green (margaret-u-green) said :
#9

the error message related to /dev/loop0 the error was e2fsck fsck died with exit status 8.
So I went into disk manager and unchecked loop0, did a restart and the error went away.

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peter b (b1pete) said :
#10

ok Margaret, it looks like there is a problem somewhere. don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of it.

we need to use, as I suspected, the Command Line Interface -CLI for short- to help us in diagnosing the problem; for this pls go Applications --> Accessories --> Terminal --> right click and select Add this launcher to desktop - the Terminal icon will show up on the desktop so you have it handy from now on; in linux it is a very sharp tool that can control the installation v effectively, this IS the power of linux; in time you'll grow into it.

now, pls double click on the terminal icon - a new window will open with a line only of the xxxxxx@yyyyyyyy:~$ <cursor> format
explanation : xxxxx is your nickname that you entered at install time AND it is the name of your /home folder
                     yyyyyyy is the name of your computer
                     $ is the prompt telling you that you are logged in as a normal user ; ATTENTION AND BIG CAUTION HERE --> there'll be situations that you must be SUPERUSER --> that WILL give you unlimited rights over the system and as consequence a small little mistake may ruin your entire installation so GREAT CARE as superuser use - su for short.

now, let's try this cmds as SUPERUSER - pls enter at cursor prompt

sudo blkid

and press enter key --> the system will prompt for the su password - just type it; you'll see nothing on the screen for security reasons them just press enter key again --> there'll be some output displayed and the prompt will return ready for the next command; now pls enter this cmd

sudo fdisk -l

l being L --> followed by enter key; some output will again be displayed; then pls enter this command

uname -a

again enter key and some output displayed. you can see how we queried the system to tell us a little about itself and so trying to pin down the problem.

after all this done the terminal window still open with all above info, pls open this ticket and in the new post we'll paste all this info by copying it from the terminal window as follows:

with the right mouse button pressed just scroll down the terminal window highlighting all info then press right mouse button and select Copy --> the entire highlighted text on terminal window is copied to the clipboard then, move the mouse to an open space on the opened ticket post window --> right click and select Paste --> the text will appear.

that's all - let's see how it goes - we'll continue after I see this output.

BTW - did you install ubuntu while in windows OR was it installed as a FULL FLEDGED ubuntu installation as a DUAL BOOT SYSTEM I mean windows WAS NOT active when ubuntu installed ?

peter b

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peter b (b1pete) said :
#11

re-reading your posts and what the disk-manager shows I'm sure that you have the WUBI variant of ubuntu installed or in other words WINDOWS was active when ubuntu installed (ubuntu WUBI).

because wubi is installed in a file (a large one, as an application) UNDER windows NOT on a real partition of the HD it appears as blank spaces under used and free captions in disk manager and it is mounted in /media/loop0 as an ext3 file system which is a linux file system.

now, I'm not familiar whether disk-manager WORKS UNDER WUBI or not but I can say that if you check marked the second entry

tick sda1 /host ntfs-3g 76.3GB 19.9GB 56.4GB

as you mentioned which for sure is the windows partition AND you check marked

Enable write support

under General tab in disk manager you should be able to see after reboot the files in the windows ntfs partition on a full fledged ubuntu installation and access them (disk manager edits the /etc/fstab file accordingly). however, under wubi may not be able to do it. so let's do a little check in a ..... terminal, remember? pls carry out the following cmd

gedit /etc/fstab

and copy and paste its output = the contents displayed in ITS OWN window).

searching a bit the peculiarities of wubi on the net I found these url's that might be of help

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/WubiGuide
http://wubi-installer.org/faq.php#use
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=438591
http://wubi-installer.org/support.php

It is my first contact/support with this variant of ubuntu - WUBI- which by its v nature 'plays' on a windows laid active groundwork; because of that a v important part of the full fledged ubuntu installation - the HD partitioning - is not there or is in a v abbreviated form (normal ubuntu and in general linux is always installed on free spaces on HD without any other os running during install).

if you feel comfortable with wubi just stay with it but be cognizant of the fact that it has its own forum and support; see the url above. conversely, if you'd like to get into the full fledged ubuntu and have also windows COMPLETELY separated - on their own partitions and independently booted as a REAL DUAL BOOT system then just un-install wubi but not before saving/backing up all your data and install the real gnome ubuntu. if you decide for the real ubuntu gnome installation just let me know and we'll help you do that install keeping your win untouched self standing installation.

peter b

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peter b (b1pete) said :
#12

just noticed a mistake I made, sorry,
- the line that reads

......'with the right mouse button pressed'.....

should read

....'with the LEFT mouse button pressed'....

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Margaret Green (margaret-u-green) said :
#13

Peter

It does sound as though I have a WUBI installation, windows was running when I ran the CD. I would prefer ubuntu running in its own partition and be able to access the files on the windows part of the HDD.

I ran the terminal as requested, output below. Do I just close the window to exit that terminal session?

margaretgreen@ubuntu:~$ sudo blkid
[sudo] password for margaretgreen:
/dev/sda1: UUID="6EEC296CEC292FAF" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/loop0: UUID="17a2bffb-2e76-4b89-a7cf-9941fee047f4" TYPE="ext3"
margaretgreen@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 81.9 GB, 81964302336 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9964 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x127c127c

   Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 9963 80027766 7 HPFS/NTFS
margaretgreen@ubuntu:~$ uname -a
Linux ubuntu 2.6.27-9-generic #1 SMP Thu Nov 20 21:57:00 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux
margaretgreen@ubuntu:~$

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peter b (b1pete) said :
#14

yes Margaret, message taken and understood; my suspicions were right - there is indeed a wubi installation under windows on your pc.

first answer, you can close the terminal session in two ways - one by just clicking on the x on the upper far right title bar or secondly, by going to File tab --> Close window; but before doing that pls run also the last cmd mentioned

gedit /etc/fstab

in the terminal just for our further education on how disk manager works under wubi; pls copy and paste the output (the contents of this new window which is opened by the editor gedit) in the next post; - that will clarify if the /loop0 is indeed mounted or not. fdisk -l command which is a linux cmd DOES NOT recognize /loop - see above.

now, re your wish to proceed with a full fledged gnome ubuntu install - I must say it is a v wise decision - I salute you for deciding to have the best - why one would go for second best if can get the best ? in order to do that you must have the CD that contains ubuntu gnome ; ubuntu gnome is available for downloading OR by ordering a free CD from Canonical, the developers of this os. see these url's

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

moreover, there are quite a few 'flavours' or releases or distributions of this os available, some older and the v latest called intrepid 810 that was released at the end of october 08. also, v important for you to know, all these 'flavours' or releases are available for quite a few cpu's - the most used are obviously releases for 32 bit cpu's and 64 bit cpu's. obviously, one would like to install the latest release particularly designed for his/her cpu that lives in the pc.

then there are the LTS releases (Long Term Support) that are supported by Canonical for double the length of time than the others which is 18 months. for you is v imp to know in making a decision what you'd prefer - an LTS release or a normal one. the latest LTS called hardy 804 ubuntu gnome was release at the end of April 08 which will be supported for 36 months from that date as opposed to intrepid 810 that will be supported for 18 months from oct 08.

then, there are for all above, two types of CD's, - the ones called live CD's and the alternate CD's; the live ones are the CD's that just boot off CD and loads ubuntu in memory on the pc without installing anything on the HD - a linux gnome session can be run by the user BUT after the session ended any configurations and settings done are LOST, the pc is left the same as it was before booting the CD. these live CD's have also an option displayed after loaded in memory to do a full install to CD if the user wishes.

the alternate CD's are designed to give the user the most control over the installation - they will go straight into install to HD. personally I always use the alternate CD's, I want to control the installation myself the way I like it on my pc. as far as install howto's for both types there are plenty of v good ones screencasts included on the internet officially released by ubuntu; we'll discuss that after your decision.

so, as you could see, there are quite a few choices available to get a good solid install that best fits your current and future needs - please make a decision as to what avenue you'd like to pursue.

pls do not make any move regarding wubi uninstall yet - we'll discuss that and the download vs ordering a CD after you tell me what's your decision on the next post. just a hint and/or advise - if you have a dsl broadband internet conn'n choose the download route, it is fast, you get what you want/your distro choice, CD type etc, and you'll get the media burned and ready for install quickly vs ordering that i understand takes weeks.

I'll direct you what to do next, what .iso file to download, how to check the download, burn the .iso file to media etc.

regards,
peter b

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Margaret Green (margaret-u-green) said :
#15

Peter

Thanks, I have the CD that I burned from the ISO downloaded from the Oxford Uni site, it offered to replace windows or reside with it. Here is the output:

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>

proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/sda1 /host ntfs-3g defaults,nosuid,nodev,locale=en_GB.UTF-8 0 0
/host/ubuntu/disks/root.disk / ext3 loop,errors=remount-ro 0 1
/host/ubuntu/disks/boot /boot none bind 0 0
/host/ubuntu/disks/swap.disk none swap loop,sw 0 0

Revision history for this message
peter b (b1pete) said :
#16

that's great news; I'm pretty confident that you downloaded the .iso file, checked its md5sum and ended up with a reliable CD READY for install that suits you the best after what we discussed in the last post.

now, before uninstalling wubi pls copy/backup to any media - CD's, usb pen drives. CF cards etc that you have - any data that you have under wubi AS WELL AS windows just to be on the safe side - the removal process of an os ESPECIALLY when installed under another os (in this case windows) is a routine that may bring with it unexpected surprises.

the wubi uninstall MUST take place under windows (windows running) according to the caption Uninstallation on

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/WubiGuide

so, just follow the described procedure there mindful of the CAVEAT that the process MAY fail for a certain wubi release THAT may require a file to be downloaded and run for a successful uninstallation. just in case, pls download the file mentioned first and save it in c:\ubuntu folder then run it from a command line IN WINDOWS as indicated . hopefully everything is going to be just fine. after uninstall finished just reboot a couple of times and have windows loaded and run some checks as mentioned by marcobra - sorry, I'm not familiar with windows, I'm not using it for years so I have to take for granted his indicated microsoft url and say that's ok.

after all that finished comes the real thing install. I'll indicate below various url's that will show you in detail how to go about installing and running each type of CD - the liveCD or the alternate CD.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot#Finishing%20Ubuntu%20Installation
http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/p3.htm
http://www.herman.linuxmaniac.net/p25.html
http://www.herman.linuxmaniac.net/p24.html

the 1st url is the ubuntu official howto; before they used to have screencasts for all type of installs, it appears that they pulled them off for some reason so url number 2 I find excellent and reliable so you can follow it and end up with a good dual boot install; it is for the alternate type CD.

url #3 and 4 are excellent too and show you the live CD in action and the install off live CD.

2,3 and 4 are for hardy LTS distro; the install for intrepid is pretty much the same.

so, Margaret, I'd recommend to choose the DUAL BOOT INSTALL procedure FOR the CD type you've got and read it, maybe a couple of times, to get v familiar with it then set your BIOS such that the first boot device is the CDROM, reboot the pc with the CD you've got inserted in the drive and there you are ready to get the install to HD going.

one other thing pls, from my experience in forums and support sites. MOST failed installs are because of misunderstandings and wrong choices in the PARTITIONER phase during install. I'd recommend that if you have any questions or you're not comfortable with something at this phase in the install procedure pls pls abort the procedure BEFORE the changes are committed to the HD and better ask for clarifications. if you want I can mark this ticket to become a subscriber so I'll be notified if you;ve any additional questions re this subject/topic. just let me know.

best regards,
peter b

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Margaret Green (margaret-u-green) said :
#17

Peter

Thank you, I have successfully deleted the ubuntu application from the windows utility. I'm just backing up all my files (very slow) then I will do the install as recommended, noting to be very careful over the partitioner stage, I will call for more help if I'm not sure. Going away for a few days so will do that when I get back.

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peter b (b1pete) said :
#18

great news. re partitioner, yes there are quite a few pointers that I couldn't find on any of the url's that help a great deal getting the dual boot system more robust.

have a nice trip and enjoy the new 2009. we'll continue when you're back.

regards,
peter b

Revision history for this message
Margaret Green (margaret-u-green) said :
#19

Peter

Hi I'm back. I have defragged the HDD and backed up my files. The BIOS does not try to boot from the CD, it goes straight to the windows boot on the C drive. How do I set the BIOS to boot up from the CD?

Revision history for this message
Margaret Green (margaret-u-green) said :
#20

Peter

I have progressed! The BIOS now looks for CD first (was looking for floppy). Loaded ubuntu CD, started install, the partitioner thought it could have 45%, but from the windows side it said there was only 34% free. The partitioner failed so I quit.

I'm in Windows now and it seems quite content.

Do I need to set the install partition manually (the window gives that option). I remembered your warning and would like some advice please.

Revision history for this message
peter b (b1pete) said :
#21

just noticed you're back; nice to hear that you got sorted out the CD boot in BIOS

 --> hint pls --> set you're BIOS such that the first boot device is the FLOPPY, the second is the CDROM and the third is the HDD why? for the simple reason that in the future you have all these v important boot devices set so that when BOOTABLE media is inserted they'll be scanned first and the pc boots off them - if there is NO media present or the media is not bootable in FLOPPY dr the BIOS will scan the second, the CDROM, will again find no media or media no bootable so then it scans HDD and finds HOPEFULLY the MBR (or a BOOT MGR that usually sits on the FIRST TRACK of the HD) that will boot the pc. pls notice the last 6 words in capitals - we'll discuss more about them during this exercise/thread at the appropriate time.

Margaret, pls tell me - what version of windows is installed on your pc ? it is v important.

secondly, .....'The partitioner failed'..... pls tell me how did it fail ? was there any message displayed ? was there a red screen displayed ? in a nutshell - pls tell me everything pertinent to this thing. did you use the BACK option ON ALL SCREENS to abort the install ?

thirdly, yes we'll use the MANUAL partitioner option in the partitioner,

but, first, before any other ATTEMPT to install gnome is madeI have to hear from you re the above. for sure we'll have to concentrate on the health of the HD and windows. there are strong indications reading your post that windows partition or maybe the HD has some problems. ubuntu or linux in general is v v stringent when it comes to to installs to HD - it'll check v thoroughly what state the HD and partitions are in, it expects and demands a clean environment for its install.

regards,
peter b

Revision history for this message
peter b (b1pete) said :
#22

ok Margaret, I just refreshed my memory with what I was doing in the old days in windows -when windows was still living on my pc- AND what actions I had to take PRIOR to installing linux/ubuntu; in other words THE PREPARATORY actions in windows. until you tell me, I assume that you're using either windows XP or windows Vista

first, I hope that you have ALWAYS used a virus protection software in windows, that it WAS ALWAYS ON; if that then pls scan your pc for viruses WITH the latest software ver (updated viruses database); if NOT then pls download a virus protection/scanning software, install it and scan the pc - I was using GRISOFT software that was free; it gave me v good protection; v important, make sure that the option 'remove viruses when detected' or something similar is ENABLED BEFORE running the virus check; reboot pc then

secondly, STILL in widows, pls carry out ALL steps shown in the url below under Preparation

http://fosswire.com/2008/07/28/dual-boot-ubuntu-with-windows-vistaxp-with-printable-guide/

now, there is a point here that is asking you to backup/copy all your data - I'm afraid that you won't like what follows BUT pls, for the sake of good reliable data in the future that you may use, YOU'LL have to do it AFTER the virus check above - I know you were not the happiest when done last time, it was too slow.

then and IF ALL about PASSED and the system/windows boots and responds as expected to commands we'll attempt a new ubuntu install. I do not want you to be scared, these steps are absolutely mandatory for a successful install; consider also the fact that some of the actions above may not be completed successfully - I do not want to enter into that NOW - we'll cross that bridge only if we MUST/BE FORCED by the outcome of the above, there are solutions for that too. for the time being let's see what's the outcome. pls keep me posted. I want you to end up with a good solid dual boot install.

regards,
peter b

Revision history for this message
peter b (b1pete) said :
#23

yes, you're using XP - sorry, I missed it.

peter

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Margaret Green (margaret-u-green) said :
#24

Peter

I'm sorry, I did not write down the error message when the ubuntu partitioner failed.

I have run antivirus, chkdsk and defrag. Windows says the HDD is good.

What next?

Revision history for this message
peter b (b1pete) said :
#25

ok, - let's proceed if all about finished in a happy note.

Margaret, pls for the sake of putting your doubts (and mine) at rest re FREE SPACE on the HDD - before attempting a new install - in XP pls go to

Click Start > Run and type

diskmgmt.msc

in the Open: line and click OK. The Disk Management snap-in will open

pls look up on your disk 1 (I understand there's only one installed of some 80 GB) and see what's the capacity and free space telling you - just make a note of it. then shut down windows --> pop in the CD drive the ubuntu CD you've got and start the install process as you did before;

now, PENDING the type of CD you have (live or alternate --> pls tell me on the next post which one you've got as well as the release) the pc will

1 - EITHER load ubuntu in memory and present you with a desktop screen where Install icon option will show up (live CD case); this IS the live CD install (in memory) and is presented in the following url

          http://www.herman.linuxmaniac.net/p25.html

                NOTE: NO changes are made to the pc at this point

          after the desktop is displayed in this case, in order to trigger the install process the user can MUST double click the Install option on the desktop and the install will start. this is v well documented in

           http://www.herman.linuxmaniac.net/p24.html

          or in

           http://fosswire.com/2008/07/28/dual-boot-ubuntu-with-windows-vistaxp-with-printable-guide/

           where the desktop IS BY-Passed and do a straight install OFF CD

                NOTE: IN BOTH cases above AFTER partitioner phase is finished AND the user CONFIRMS the previous choices to the installer, the HD WILL BE ALERED ACCORDING TO THE CHOICES ; THIS IS VALID for the ALTERNATE CD below.

OR

2 will go straight into install - in this case you;ll be prompted after the kernel is loaded immediately for KB particulars etc and a little later after other prompts the partitioner will open; this will happen when the alternate CD is run. this type of install is v well described and presented/documented in the following url

           http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/p3.htm

ATTENTION pls --> the install process (partitioner included) WILL be displayed differently - if the live CD used then the install WILL run in a GUI; conversely, if the alternate CD used the install WILL run as a semi GUI --> each step will have ITS OWN screen displayed where the user makes the/A decision ON EACH SCREEN then, when satisfied, on the left lower part of the screen is prompted to continue OR go back to the previous choice. all these are all v well depicted in the url's mentioned above as you could see.

I understand the fact that there's no internet conn'n when installing ubuntu so you can not follow to the letter the install procedure in the url's; if you have access to a printer just make a hard copy of the url for your particular CD type and fire up the installer and do your choices as recommended - it is a pretty straight task WITH ONE condition pls follow exactly the indications, IN CASE you are not comfortable or in doubt about a choice, as I said, ABORT THE INSTALL AND do not hesitate to ask by referring the step in the corresponding url that makes you uneasy and creates doubts in your mind - rest assured that I'll help you and finish successfully the install.

personally, as I said, the alternate CD is my preferred install media - I find it more intuitive, easier to understand and most important gives ME full control of the install. I find it a great learning experience and tool. in spite what others say I recommend it v highly to the new users.

pls tell me how you progress; keep me posted.

regards,
peter

Revision history for this message
Margaret Green (margaret-u-green) said :
#26

Peter

Thank you

Capacity=76.32GB Free=34.15GB

Version 8.10

Type 2 CD goes directly to 'choose language etc

using the default partions suggested -

Partitioner aborts with a message "An error occurred while writing the changes to the storage device. The resize operation has been aborted."

After exiting ubuntu and restarting windows XP runs chkdsk and finds no errors.

Revision history for this message
peter b (b1pete) said :
#27

ok Margaret, I was afraid that there is problem with Xp/HDD when you told me that the partitioner failed; we've tried to solve it with the preparatory steps in windows which, as you could see, were good enough for XP but failed to be good for ubuntu - it has to do with how and where ntfs information is written to the HD - there is no doubt about that. I'm afraid that the only thing that WILL solve the problem is to ...'cross the bridge'... that I was talking about in the previous post.

another try to fix the problem by running chkdsk /f /r commands in XP at a command prompt I'm pretty sure will yield the same results as before when it was run in the GUI.

in this case one of the many solutions, the simplest and easily accessible to the user is a new, fresh XP install. all the other involve third party utilities/software that will try to repair the partition and the HD, however, all these utilities are for advanced users and require a high degree of knowledge of the inner workings of XP and HDD. moreover, ntfs file system is a proprietary file system developed by microsoft and because of that it is much better to use THEIR XP installer to overcome the problem by reinstalling THEIR os.

so, you already HAVE ALL your data backed-up to other media so it is safe - the only thing is to pure and simple pop in your XP CD and do a new installation of XP. NOTE: when in xp installer PLS first choose D elete the existing partition option THEN create a new partition say of 35000 MB, v close to what you had before,

NOTE: PLS LEAVE THE REMAINING SPACE ON HD AS UNPARTITIONED SPACE, ubuntu partitioner WILL show it as FREE SPACE and will use it for its install

then complete the full install; THEN, v important, immediately at first boot into XP pls install the antivirus software THEN download ALL updates from MS site and install them --> job finished, there is a fresh virus free XP and an HD good for ubuntu install; the whole exercise will probably take anywhere from 1 hr to 2 hrs pending on the speed of your pc cpu and HD. the following url will show you, with illustrations, how to install XP if you're not familiar with it.

http://tweakhound.com/xp/installxp/installXP1.htm

Margaret, this is not the first case that these things happen, ubuntu and linux WILL NOT install on HD if it is not up to perfect good clean state; I do not want to say anything more about windows; however, you could see and live what's the difference between windows and ubuntu/linux - it was one of the reasons I gave windows up long ago and now I'm FREE of all the antivirus, ntfs, defragmentation etc problems -they do not exist in ubuntu.

pls do the above and then install ubuntu. keep me posted how things go.

regards,
peter b

Revision history for this message
peter b (b1pete) said :
#28

Margaret, according to your last post you are in possession of an ALTERNATE CD so the url that applies is

http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/p3.htm

pls use the Manual option on the partitioner as shown on the url on

fig 19 ntfs

after Manual option is highlighted --> press Enter and a NEW SCREEN OPENS similar BUT with a diff output as shown on

fig 25 ntfs

BUT --> NOTE: v important --> IN YOUR CASE after the XP installed the way described on my last post YOU WILL HAVE DISPLAYED SOMETHING close to

SCSI1 (0,0,0) (sda) - 76.0 GB ATA <the name of your HD make>
       #1 primary 35 GB K ntfs /media/sda1
             pri/log xx GB FREE SPACE

PLS NOTICE --> FREE SPACE above -that is the space that we left unpartitioned under XP where xx is the GB balance from 35GB of XP partition to 76 GB the full HD capacity -- v simple isn't it ?

NOW, V V Important --> PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH THE FIRST TWO LINES SHOWN ABOVE in the partitioner --> ubuntu is not concerned with XP at all --> IT IS CONCERNED WITH THE FREE SPACE ONLY ! SO YOU HAVE TO/MUST/MANDATORY HIGHLIGHT the FREE SPACE LINE ! pls pay great att'n to this !! it is shown on the figure too

SECONDLY, V V important, the steps shown in

fig 20 ntfs
fig 21 ntfs
fig 22 ntfs
fig 23 ntfs
fig 24 ntfs

DO NOT APPLY TO WHAT WE"RE DOING --> we do not have to resize the XP partition --> it was taken care of at XP install time.

now, we have to do something with that xx FREE SPACE --> pls do NOTHING YET in the partitioner --> pick up a piece of paper, we'll do a little homework before SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT (tailored to your HD setup configuration) than shown on

fig 23 ntfs

I'm referring to --> For this install I am planning 15.1 GB for Windows XP Home Edition
                                                19.0 GB for / Ubuntu Hardy Heron
                                                 5.0 GB FAT32 shared data partition
                                             + 1.0 GB Swap Area (memory swap)
                                                40.1 GB total

entry on above fig 23 ntfs. so, IN YOUR CASE --> 35 GB for XP IS ALREADY assigned and we'll keep it as is
                                                                                yy GB for / Ubuntu Intrepid
                                                                                zz GB FAT32 shared data partition
                                                                                  1 GB Swap area (memory swap) we'll keep it , it's ok for you too
                                                           TOTAL 76 GB total ( value that MUST be the same as shown on sda entry above.

so there are two entries yy and zz above that remain to be decided --> I'd recommend yy=25 GB and the shared FAT32 zz=the balance to the TOTAL; I;ll leave this up to your decision --> what your decision is is what MUST be entered in the subsequent steps in the partitioner CAUTION --> all MUST add up to what you have under sda capacity HDD.

then, just follow

fig 26 ntfs
.........
up to the end of the url mindful of the VALUES established above , proper to you install. that's it, you will be a proud user of the new CUSTOM dual boot ubuntu install. it is as you could see a straight forward exercise and like any os install diligence and patience must be used. most important, you know exactly how it was installed and why so.

keep me posted how things go, pls make a hard copy of the url, modify it according to the above discussion and follow it to the letter,

regards,
peter b

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