Can't install Ubuntu 11.04 using USB or Wubi

The problem seems likely some partition table corruption that affects Ubuntu but not Windows. Or an unsupported RAID setup.

You could run the http://bootinfoscript.sourceforge.net/ and post the results to http://pastebin.ubuntu.com (and the pastebin address back here) if you want some help with that. (To to this, boot from the USB you created and select "Try it" without installing).

Thank you for your response. I'm working on what you suggested. I am a very new user and have no experience using the terminal so I'm not sure if I'm doing it correctly. When I enter the information in the terminal I'm getting responses like: "bash: syntax error near unexpected token 'newline'" and "no such file or directory" or "unknown id: bash"
I entered "sudo bash ./Desktop/boot_info_script.sh" and some variations in attempt to correctly input the information. Is there something very basic that I'm missing here about how to use the terminal? Thank you again for your help!

I don't know if this will help or be way TMI, but this is what I was putting into the terminal. Keep in mind that I'm really new to this and have no idea what I am doing. I would really like to learn. Thank you so much.

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ bash ~/Desktop/boot_info_script.sh
bash: /home/ubuntu/Desktop/boot_info_script.sh: No such file or directory
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ bash ~/Desktop/boot_info_script060.sh
bash: /home/ubuntu/Desktop/boot_info_script060.sh: No such file or directory
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ bash ~/Desktop/boot_info_script060
/home/ubuntu/Desktop/boot_info_script060: /home/ubuntu/Desktop/boot_info_script060: is a directory
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ su
Password:
su: Authentication failure
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ su bash ~/Desktop/boot_info_script.sh
Unknown id: bash
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ bash ./boot_info_script.sh -h
bash: ./boot_info_script.sh: No such file or directory
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudoer
sudoer: command not found
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo bash ./boot_info_script.sh
bash: ./boot_info_script.sh: No such file or directory
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo bash ./boot_info_script.sh <outputfile>
bash: syntax error near unexpected token `newline'
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ ^C
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

So I downloaded the script (zip file). I chose to save it (it defaulted to
my Downloads folder). Then I double clicked on it to open and extracted it.

Then went to the terminal (CTRL + ALT +t) and changed into the Downloads
directory before running (note all commands and names are case sensitive;
also you can use TAB to autocomplete e.g. hit 'R'[TAB] and it should
autocomplete RESULTS.txt):
bcbc@ubuntu:~$ cd Downloads/
bcbc@ubuntu:~/Downloads$ ls
boot_info_script060.zip boot_info_script.sh CHANGELOG
bcbc@ubuntu:~/Downloads$ sudo bash boot_info_script.sh
[sudo] password for bcbc:

boot_info_script version: 0.60 [17 May 2011]

"gawk" could not be found, using "busybox awk" instead.
This may lead to unreliable results.

Identifying MBRs...
Computing Partition Table of /dev/sda...
Searching sda1 for information...
Searching sda2 for information...
Searching sda3 for information...
Searching sda3/Wubi for information...

Finished. The results are in the file "RESULTS.txt"
located in "/home/bcbc/Downloads/".

bcbc@ubuntu:~/Downloads$ gedit RESULTS.txt

Thank you so much, your instructions are very easy to follow. For some reason I'm still running into problems. This is what is happening in the terminal:

ubuntu@ubuntu:/$ cd Downloads/
bash: cd: Downloads/: No such file or directory
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$ ~/Downloads$ ls
bash: /home/ubuntu/Downloads$: No such file or directory
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$

Try Desktop instead... doesn't look like you have a Downloads directory. If
you can see the file on your desktop before going to the Terminal, then do
the following:

cd Desktop
ls

Make sure you see the boot_info_script.sh file.
Then run:
sudo bash boot_info_script.sh

Still no luck:

ubuntu@ubuntu:/$ cd Desktop
bash: cd: Desktop: No such file or directory
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$ cd Desktop ls
bash: cd: Desktop: No such file or directory
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$ cd Desktop/
bash: cd: Desktop/: No such file or directory
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$

It looks like you're in the root (/) directory for some reason. Please try:
cd ~/Desktop
or (this is equivalent)
cd /home/ubuntu/Desktop

Or if you save the bootinfoscript in the Downloads directory:
cd ~/Downloads
or
cd /home/ubuntu/Dowloads

PS Every time you boot the Ubuntu CD you have to download the bootinfoscript
again as it isn't saved between boots.

All right, that worked. Thank you so much. Here are the results:

http://pastebin.ubuntu.com/629123/

                  Boot Info Script 0.60 from 17 May 2011

============================= Boot Info Summary: ===============================

 => Syslinux MBR (4.04 and higher) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda.

sda1: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system: vfat
    Boot sector type: SYSLINUX 4.04 2011-04-18
    Boot sector info: Syslinux looks at sector 15234848 of /dev/sda1 for
                       its second stage. SYSLINUX is installed in the
                       directory. The integrity check of the ADV area failed.
                       No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:
    Boot files: /syslinux/syslinux.cfg /ldlinux.sys

============================ Drive/Partition Info: =============================

Drive: sda _____________________________________________________________________

Disk /dev/sda: 8000 MB, 8000110592 bytes
160 heads, 19 sectors/track, 5139 cylinders, total 15625216 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start Sector End Sector # of Sectors Id System

/dev/sda1 * 32 15,625,215 15,625,184 b W95 FAT32

"blkid" output: ________________________________________________________________

Device UUID TYPE LABEL

/dev/loop0 squashfs
/dev/loop1 1951eb32-c815-4b4a-85ee-fd2b5ad63880 ext2 casper-rw
/dev/sda1 88BE-9B6A vfat PENDRIVE

================================ Mount points: =================================

Device Mount_Point Type Options

/dev/loop0 /rofs squashfs (ro,noatime)
/dev/sda1 /cdrom vfat (rw,relatime,fmask=0022,dmask=0022,codepage=cp437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,errors=remount-ro)

========================= sda1/syslinux/syslinux.cfg: ==========================

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# D-I config version 2.0
include menu.cfg
default vesamenu.c32
prompt 0
timeout 50

# If you would like to use the new menu and be presented with the option to install or run from USB at startup, remove # from the following line. This line was commented out (by request of many) to allow the old menu to be presented and to enable booting straight into the Live Environment!
# ui gfxboot bootlogo
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

================= sda1: Location of files loaded by Syslinux: ==================

           GiB - GB File Fragment(s)

            ?? = ?? ldlinux.sys 1
            ?? = ?? syslinux/gfxboot.c32 1
            ?? = ?? syslinux/syslinux.cfg 1
            ?? = ?? syslinux/vesamenu.c32 1

============== sda1: Version of COM32(R) files used by Syslinux: ===============

 syslinux/gfxboot.c32 : COM32R module (v4.xx)
 syslinux/vesamenu.c32 : COM32R module (v4.xx)

========= Devices which don't seem to have a corresponding hard drive: =========

no block devices found

=============================== StdErr Messages: ===============================

boot_info_script.sh: line 1579: [: 2.73495e+09: integer expression expected

The bootinfoscript was unable to see your hard drive. Which would explain your problems trying to install Ubuntu.

Do you use some sort of encryption or is there anything else special about your setup?

Not that I know of, but I am not the only person who uses this laptop. It is possible that someone else may have done something like that. Is there some way I can check?

What model drive is it/bios/computer?
Maybe take a snapshot from windows disk management (refer to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309000 for info on opening disk management up)

I will do that when I get a chance. Sorry I haven't responded in a while, my father has been in the hospital for the past week so I haven't had much free time. I'll get back to you when I get a chance to work on my laptop. Thank you again for all of your help!

I hope this is what you were looking for...

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/089HwZ-OueCUJ4egtX612U10VvcaohsyUy_TK0jrO3Q?feat=directlink

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/089HwZ-OueCUJ4egtX612U10VvcaohsyUy_TK0jrO3Q?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-abgmaR090Eo/TgabwNPdXoI/AAAAAAAAANg/l-iRNnfDbhM/s144/disk.JPG" height="103" width="144" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/111687671929167355654/Computer?authkey=Gv1sRgCKjCnobbgoXHRw&feat=embedwebsite">computer</a></td></tr></table>

Well that looks normal. I'm a bit stumped as to why the drive is not visible from Ubuntu. Can you boot from your Ubuntu USB again, select "Try it" without installing, and then from the desktop hit - CTRL-ALT-t - to get to a terminal.

Enter the following commands:
sudo parted -l
(by the way, thats a lower case -L)
sudo blkid

and copy and paste the results back here.
Thanks
e.g. it will look something like this

bcbc@ubuntu:~$ sudo parted -l
Model: ATA ST9500325AS (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 500GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
 1 32.3kB 107MB 107MB primary fat16 diag
 2 107MB 15.8GB 15.7GB primary ntfs boot
 3 15.8GB 332GB 316GB primary ntfs

bcbc@ubuntu:~$ sudo blkid
/dev/loop0: UUID="c7f89541-05a4-4edd-a787-4634597281e3" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda1: SEC_TYPE="msdos" LABEL="DellUtility" UUID="3030-3030" TYPE="vfat"
/dev/sda2: LABEL="RECOVERY" UUID="CAB28E67B28E5839" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda3: LABEL="OS" UUID="18B4B7BBB4B799A8" TYPE="ntfs"
bcbc@ubuntu:~$

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo parted -l
Model: SanDisk Cruzer (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 8000MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
 1 16.4kB 8000MB 8000MB primary fat32 boot

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo blkid
/dev/loop0: TYPE="squashfs"
/dev/loop1: LABEL="casper-rw" UUID="1951eb32-c815-4b4a-85ee-fd2b5ad63880" TYPE="ext2"
/dev/sda1: LABEL="PENDRIVE" UUID="88BE-9B6A" TYPE="vfat"
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ ^C
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

Ubuntu does not see your drive at all. I have no idea why...

Go into BIOS and check what your SATA mode is set at.

The SATA mode is set at [IDE]. Sorry about the Gmail junk, I didn't mean to post all that.

I've been looking for some clues and came across this old thread: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=942437

Have a read of that and see if it makes sense. The first thing I would do is test whether this is indeed the problem. Change your SATA mode to AHCI, then boot from the Ubuntu USB. Confirm that Ubuntu can now see your drive.
Don't forget to switch back to IDE before booting Windows. At this point you can follow the above thread and figure out how to get both Windows (and then Ubuntu) booting in AHCI mode.

If that's not the problem - well... let's worry about that later.

PS regarding those accidental posts, if you want them deleted you can ask here https://answers.launchpad.net/launchpad and some admin will probably be able to delete them.