E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened. E: _cache->open() failed, please report.

You strictly need to open a Terminal from the menu Applications->Accessories->Terminal and type:

sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt-get update

give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

But to fully check and upgrade your system using terminal:
open a Terminal from the menu Applications->Accessories->Terminal

**Tip: right click with mouse on the top terminal windows title caption and select the menu item "Always on Top"
doing this you will force the terminal window to stay on top of the other windows and you will find very easy
to copy single row from this web page into the terminal...
Something more about using the terminal https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal

Then type or better copy and paste a row a time then press enter:
(Tip: select the single row to copy from this page then right click and select copy then click into the terminal window
and to quick paste click with middle button of mouse )

Copy and paste the rows below, copy and paste one row a time (see the **Tip) then press enter:

sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt-get -f install
sudo apt-get --fix-missing install
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get autoremove
sudo apt-get update

give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter.

Hope this helps

terry@terry-laptop:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
[sudo] password for terry:
dpkg: status database area is locked by another process
terry@terry-laptop:~$

On Sat, Oct 9, 2010 at 1:38 PM, marcobra (Marco Braida) <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #128582 on apt in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+question/128582
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> marcobra (Marco Braida) proposed the following answer:
> You strictly need to open a Terminal from the menu
> Applications->Accessories->Terminal and type:
>
> sudo dpkg --configure -a
> sudo apt-get update
>
> give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type
> it, then press enter.
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> But to fully check and upgrade your system using terminal:
> open a Terminal from the menu Applications->Accessories->Terminal
>
> **Tip: right click with mouse on the top terminal windows title caption and
> select the menu item "Always on Top"
> doing this you will force the terminal window to stay on top of the other
> windows and you will find very easy
> to copy single row from this web page into the terminal...
> Something more about using the terminal
> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal
>
> Then type or better copy and paste a row a time then press enter:
> (Tip: select the single row to copy from this page then right click and
> select copy then click into the terminal window
> and to quick paste click with middle button of mouse )
>
> Copy and paste the rows below, copy and paste one row a time (see the
> **Tip) then press enter:
>
> sudo dpkg --configure -a
> sudo apt-get -f install
> sudo apt-get --fix-missing install
> sudo apt-get update
> sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
> sudo apt-get clean
> sudo apt-get autoremove
> sudo apt-get update
>
> give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you
> type it, then press enter.
>
> Hope this helps
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
>
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+question/128582/+confirm?answer_id=0
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+question/128582
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Yes:

 terry@terry-laptop:~$ sudo apt-get -f install
Reading package lists... Error!
E: Read error - read (5: Input/output error)
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
terry@terry-laptop:~$

On Sat, Oct 9, 2010 at 1:45 PM, terry bartley <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #128582 on apt in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+question/128582
>
> Status: Answered => Open
>
> You are still having a problem:
> terry@terry-laptop:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
> [sudo] password for terry:
> dpkg: status database area is locked by another process
> terry@terry-laptop:~$
>
>
> On Sat, Oct 9, 2010 at 1:38 PM, marcobra (Marco Braida) <
> <email address hidden>> wrote:
>
> > Your question #128582 on apt in ubuntu changed:
> > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+question/128582
> >
> > Status: Open => Answered
> >
> > marcobra (Marco Braida) proposed the following answer:
> > You strictly need to open a Terminal from the menu
> > Applications->Accessories->Terminal and type:
> >
> > sudo dpkg --configure -a
> > sudo apt-get update
> >
> > give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you
> type
> > it, then press enter.
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > But to fully check and upgrade your system using terminal:
> > open a Terminal from the menu Applications->Accessories->Terminal
> >
> > **Tip: right click with mouse on the top terminal windows title caption
> and
> > select the menu item "Always on Top"
> > doing this you will force the terminal window to stay on top of the other
> > windows and you will find very easy
> > to copy single row from this web page into the terminal...
> > Something more about using the terminal
> > https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal
> >
> > Then type or better copy and paste a row a time then press enter:
> > (Tip: select the single row to copy from this page then right click and
> > select copy then click into the terminal window
> > and to quick paste click with middle button of mouse )
> >
> > Copy and paste the rows below, copy and paste one row a time (see the
> > **Tip) then press enter:
> >
> > sudo dpkg --configure -a
> > sudo apt-get -f install
> > sudo apt-get --fix-missing install
> > sudo apt-get update
> > sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
> > sudo apt-get clean
> > sudo apt-get autoremove
> > sudo apt-get update
> >
> > give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you
> > type it, then press enter.
> >
> > Hope this helps
> >
> > --
> > If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> > know that it is solved:
> >
> >
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+question/128582/+confirm?answer_id=0
> >
> > If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> > following page to enter your feedback:
> > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+question/128582
> >
> > You received this question notification because you are a direct
> > subscriber of the question.
> >
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Yes am still having trouble.
There is a red circle with a white line in it. when I hold my mouse over it
it says:

E: Read error - read (5: Input/output error)
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened. Also
says: "This usually means that your installed packages have unmet
dependencies."
It's telling me to start synaptic package mngr. but when I do this i get the
same error's.
Have also tried to run the terminal. Still get same error's.

On Sat, Oct 9, 2010 at 1:51 PM, terry bartley <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #128582 on apt in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+question/128582
>
> You gave more information on the question:
> Yes:
>
> terry@terry-laptop:~$ sudo apt-get -f install
> Reading package lists... Error!
> E: Read error - read (5: Input/output error)
> E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.
> terry@terry-laptop:~$
>
>
> On Sat, Oct 9, 2010 at 1:45 PM, terry bartley <
> <email address hidden>> wrote:
>
> > Your question #128582 on apt in ubuntu changed:
> > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+question/128582
> >
> > Status: Answered => Open
> >
> > You are still having a problem:
> > terry@terry-laptop:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
> > [sudo] password for terry:
> > dpkg: status database area is locked by another process
> > terry@terry-laptop:~$
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Oct 9, 2010 at 1:38 PM, marcobra (Marco Braida) <
> > <email address hidden>> wrote:
> >
> > > Your question #128582 on apt in ubuntu changed:
> > > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+question/128582
> > >
> > > Status: Open => Answered
> > >
> > > marcobra (Marco Braida) proposed the following answer:
> > > You strictly need to open a Terminal from the menu
> > > Applications->Accessories->Terminal and type:
> > >
> > > sudo dpkg --configure -a
> > > sudo apt-get update
> > >
> > > give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you
> > type
> > > it, then press enter.
> > > -------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > But to fully check and upgrade your system using terminal:
> > > open a Terminal from the menu Applications->Accessories->Terminal
> > >
> > > **Tip: right click with mouse on the top terminal windows title caption
> > and
> > > select the menu item "Always on Top"
> > > doing this you will force the terminal window to stay on top of the
> other
> > > windows and you will find very easy
> > > to copy single row from this web page into the terminal...
> > > Something more about using the terminal
> > > https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal
> > >
> > > Then type or better copy and paste a row a time then press enter:
> > > (Tip: select the single row to copy from this page then right click and
> > > select copy then click into the terminal window
> > > and to quick paste click with middle button of mouse )
> > >
> > > Copy and paste the rows below, copy and paste one row a time (see the
> > > **Tip) then press enter:
> > >
> > > sudo dpkg --configure -a
> > > sudo apt-get -f install
> > > sudo apt-get --fix-missing install
> > > sudo apt-get update
> > > sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
> > > sudo apt-get clean
> > > sudo apt-get autoremove
> > > sudo apt-get update
> > >
> > > give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you
> > > type it, then press enter.
> > >
> > > Hope this helps
> > >
> > > --
> > > If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let
> us
> > > know that it is solved:
> > >
> > >
> >
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+question/128582/+confirm?answer_id=0
> > >
> > > If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> > > following page to enter your feedback:
> > > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+question/128582
> > >
> > > You received this question notification because you are a direct
> > > subscriber of the question.
> > >
> >
> > --
> > You received this question notification because you are a direct
> > subscriber of the question.
> >
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

please reboot your system and retry

Please don't reply via mail to Launchpad mail notification but visit directly your question Launchpad site link.
Replying via mail to launchpad message might expose your email address to the net and you will give a lot of spam.

Then answering using mail will result into a confused thread (very long with unecessary replyed info) and you can't
manage your question state.

New to Ubuntu: read the Ubuntu Manual, it's very informative: http://ubuntu-manual.org/
Click on the "download Button" to download the latest PDF version.

ok

rebooted and am still getting same errors

I have tried all of your solutions and none seem to work.

Please copy and paste the command you type and the errors ( please only errors to avoid long reply ) you get...

First command:sudo dpkg --configure -a

Second command:
sudo apt-get -f install

Then I get error:
E: Read error - read (5: Input/output error)
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

Also get error:
E: _cache->open() failed, please report.

Please execute ALL steps in the following procedure, starting with step 1:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PackageManagerTroubleshootingProcedure

Would like to thank everyone for all the great tips and education! :)
P.S.
Problem Solved!