Hi!

I'm an old member account with a new name and an old problem, LOL!

I have an old, 8 gig hard drive that still works. I think it has a distro of some linux on it. The only working computer I have is my old 1.2 gig(IWILL) with one GIG of P-133 ram. I have WIN 2k Pro installed on the 37 gig hard drive. When I hook the 8 gig up as a "slave", input the data into the BIOS, the computer doesn't recognize the "D" (8 gig) drive.

Now, I'd like to get the computer to "see" the "D" drive and to figure out a way to download the latest Ubuntu version on to the drive. It's not necessary to dual-boot the drive, as I would only hook up the WIN drive and take the Linux drive out.

Now, I'm not the brightest crayola in the box. I'd like to be able to figure out a way to access my M$ Excel spreadsheets, I use for frequency databases (for Part 90 frequencies) during severe weather outbreaks.

Can some, kind, understanding person help me with this? It seems with the mental gaps, my understander(comprehension) is not working. I can read something and not understand what is written. I'm not asking for pity, just understanding in my challenge.

GOD BLESS,
Best Regard (73),
Respectfully submitted,

Donald Buck Saunders
Amateur Radio - KA5LQJ

I'm not sure I understand your question(s?) The OS (Win2k?) does not see the 8 GB drive after configuring it in the BIOS. Is that right? You want to install the latest Ubuntu on that drive, but want to remove it and place it in a different computer?

If the 8 GB drive already has Linux on it, it is likely that the filesystem on it is ext2fs or something similar. Windows does not recognize "foreign" filesystems, so that would explain why it is not visible as drive D: from Windows 2000.

If you boot the computer from a Linux CD, it may be visible. If not, it is probably mis-configured in the BIOS, assuming it is still a good drive.

What you need to do is download Ubuntu as an iso image from within Windows and burn it onto a disk. Then, reboot the computer with that disk in the CD-ROM drive and install it on the 8 GB drive.

It sounds like you will probably have more questions than that. Feel free to ask them.

73, AC7ZZ

Well, it seems that you have excluded the possibility that anyone answering can be sure that they can help you.

For that part of the question(s), it seems that Open Office would be an adequate answer. But first, you would need to be able to run an OS with Open Office. Is there any chance that you can plug in a CD/DVD with a Live CD of a popular Linux Distribution burnt on it, and see if that works?

Sorry, if you didn't understand, I could try shouting (I know it doesn't usually help, but it doesn't seem to stop people trying it):

COULD YOU TRY A LIVE CD?

WITH OPEN OFFICE