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-   -   Fresh Install, on boot up I get black screen with the word Grub...what do I do now? (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/fresh-install-on-boot-up-i-get-black-screen-with-the-word-grub-what-do-i-do-now-4175471958/)

Paullcan 08-03-2013 04:31 AM

Fresh Install, on boot up I get black screen with the word Grub...what do I do now?
 
I have searched the forum, have seen the exact same question posted....but sadly have not seen anyone answer the question.
Do I type something after the word Grub? If so what?

Seems a simple enough question, but on here all the answers seem so far above my head that even 'GOD' would have to look up ! Yes I am a Newbie and would like to try using Ubuntu, but if after all the time I have spent, downloading and burning, then the pains of loading the operating system onto a hard drive, just to have the word Grub appear is pretty sad in my thoughts.
After someone answers the first question ( what do I type?)
Can someone explain , in simple Newbie terms why this happened?
I do not want someone with fifty odd letters and names after theirs to go into all the technical sides of why it happened, just a simple, A) that's the way this system works, or B) machine made an error on set up.
Simple !
I also do not want to be asked millions of questions about machine type, year it was first bought and what colour socks I was wearing at the time, because I cannot think of any reason why that would make any difference at all. My PC has been running fine with Win7 for ages. Tech side, I have removed the hard drive Win7 is on and replaced with a brand new hard drive, formatted and ready to go. During the installation I had no questions or problems, seemed easy enough. I did my own win7 and also win8, but now want to try Ubuntu.

Thanks.

Thanks.

goumba 08-03-2013 06:03 AM

I'm voting for B.

What exactly do you see? Do you see "Welcome to GRUB" or do you see "grub>" (with an explanation this is a rescue mode), which would be the grub prompt? The former could be a myriad of issues, the latter is likely a failed installation of the bootloader.

Take a look here: http://askubuntu.com/questions/13912...in-a-dual-boot

I don't know why they require you to install the package when it's likely easy enough to include it, but meh, the instructions are pretty easy to follow.

HTH

yancek 08-03-2013 04:01 PM

Quote:

but on here all the answers seem so far above my head that even 'GOD' would have to look up
By your definition, there are at least 20 million people world-wide entitled to call themselves 'God' since that is a low estimate of Ubuntu users.

Quote:

but if after all the time I have spent, downloading and burning, then the pains of loading the operating system onto a hard drive,
Unless you are using a dial-up connection and have never installed an operating system, I can't imagine this process taking more than 90 minutes, two hours max.

Quote:

I also do not want to be asked millions of questions about machine type, year it was first bought and what colour socks I was wearing at the time, because I cannot think of any reason why that would make any difference at all.
Therein lies part of the problem. You can't think of any reason but there are reasons why that information is significant. The color of socks you were wearing during the installation has no bearing but I think wearing mult-colored boxers could present a problem.

You should be able to resolve your problem with the info at the link provided above. Before you post again, you might take into consideration the fact that the people here are volunteering their time and expertise to try to help YOU resolve YOUR problem and we don't need demanding posts from you or anyone else.

PECONET009 08-04-2013 12:02 PM

Formatted and ready to go.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Paullcan (Post 5002080)
formatted and ready to go.

That is the problem right there "formatted and ready to go".
When you try any Linux and install them, your hard drive should be completely empty, blank.
When you have a complete empty hard drive your install will be very easy.
Use DBAN:
http://www.dban.org/

Burn it to a cd and run it, just select "enter" for the default selection let it run for at least 3 hours (the percentage will be around 2 to 3 percent depending on the speed of your drive). When 2 or 3 percent is reached reboot your computer and take out the DBAN disk. Do a full shutdown of your computer to clear the memory (wait 30 seconds). Start up your computer and install the Linux system disk of your choice. The system disk should load without any errors.

Hope all goes well.

About the socks, i will pass on those.

John VV 08-04-2013 12:41 PM

It dose not matter the operating system
it might be just installing Win7 , all by it's self
or Ubuntu12 , or Linux Mint or OpenSUSE 12.3

Then there is the "Dual" or multi-boot ( 2 or more OS's installed) This takes some PLANNING on your part

Then installing a operating system ALSO requires some new learning on your part

The process is a bit different for windows VS linux .

Even different versions of Windows AND linux will have slightly DIFFERENT instructions !!!


The process and steps involved in formatting and partitioning a drive and installing a OS ,take some time to learn .
Yes you NEED to need something NEW , as in studying -- like SCHOOL


Then there is HARDWARE !!!!
those "System Specs" that people here NEED TO SEE will allow us to help you .
Different hardware set ups
1) laptops VS. desktop
2) Nvidia VS. AMD/ATI
3) a full 3d card VS a built in "chip"
4) a single or dual hard drive VS. a RAID set up
5 ) and so on

zrdc28 08-04-2013 10:34 PM

A good place for you to start is in every forum "how to ask Questions"

What we do not know is, how old is your computer, you cannot run ubuntu on a pentium 2 with 256 m ram.
Does it have 3d capabilities, ubuntu does not like 2d only video cards?
Is it standard bios boot or uefi, that makes a big difference on how to install.

chrism01 08-05-2013 03:43 AM

@PECONET009: no, actually most if not all Linux installs will format the disk for you as necessary; no need to blank it first.

PECONET009 08-05-2013 01:21 PM

What you had said is correct, but..
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by chrism01 (Post 5003084)
@PECONET009: no, actually most if not all Linux installs will format the disk for you as necessary; no need to blank it first.

Sometimes things do not go as well as planned, in this case sometimes the install does not go as smooth as some people would expect. It is best to do a low level format if you had any operating system on the disk, also it would pick up any errors that you would not know of, in DBAN's case it would notify you of this as it goes through your disk.

Example, I had a disk not so long ago that would not load on any operating system without giving me errors of some sort, so when I did a low level format with DBAN and ran it up to 3 percent I rebooted my computer and then did a full shut-down to clear the memory of DBAN. The hard drive became workable with out any errors from the operating system.

It does help sometimes to give it a little clean to get rid of the old system from the drive.

John VV 08-05-2013 01:41 PM

until "Paullcan" posts back
and that is not likely seeing as they did not do any research and basically stated as much

they want a windows XP type "point and click" os PREINSTALLED
do not want to think
do not want to "use those little grey cells"
do not want to learn something new

goumba 08-06-2013 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PECONET009 (Post 5003463)
Sometimes things do not go as well as planned, in this case sometimes the install does not go as smooth as some people would expect. It is best to do a low level format if you had any operating system on the disk, also it would pick up any errors that you would not know of, in DBAN's case it would notify you of this as it goes through your disk.

A low level format is rarely needed, but what likely will help is erasing and creating an empty partition table.

Most partitioning utilities have a function to write an empty table, and this should be tried first.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PECONET009 (Post 5003463)
so when I did a low level format with DBAN and ran it up to 3 percent I rebooted my computer and then did a full shut-down to clear the memory of DBAN. The hard drive became workable with out any errors from the operating system.

Likely what you did by running the low level format up to 3 percent is exactly what I described above. It wiped the MBR/GPT.

What you did on an SSD may be a bad idea; I have read cases where they can be damaged or even bricked, if the power is removed suddenly or perform a reset during a write. Accidents happen sure, but better not to invite problems :). The OP did not state what kind of drive this was, and I'd play it on the safe side.


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