Hi. Am Newbie, have been Windows up until now: have experimented with various Linux Distro's and have tried to set up Dual-Boot (with Windows 7) Ubuntu 11.04, and recently Linux Mint Mate Nadia but had trouble with Boot Sectors; Nadia demolished the Windows Boot Sector!!! Obviously She did not like having William Gates Unix/Ubuntu 11.04 Ripoff as next-door neighbour!!!

Cannot get rid of Windows yet because there are things with Linux that advice is badly needed, for example am unable to get sound on Linux Mint Mate Nadia, and do not know how to configure the email system.

Am no Geek/Tech, so even "user friendly Linux" such as Nadia is steep learning curve!!!

Anyone who could describe in step-by-step way how to get Sound/Audio in Nadia, and how to avoid Boot Sector problems when installing Mint/Mate/Nadia alongside Windows 7, i will be very grateful for it.

Also, thank you LinuxQuestions people for your magnificent Website.

You would have to explain that in a little more detail because it should not happen if done correctly. Mint would be installed on a partition separate from windows where the boot files for windows reside. A default Mint installation will overwrite the windows code in the master boot record but this information is shown during the installation with "Device for bootloader installation" on the install windows. Windows overwrites the mbr also during a standard install but does not ask you if you want it or inform you. Generally, installing the Linux Grub bootloader to the mbr is simpler and almost always detects a windows installation and creates an entry for it in the boot menu. If you don't want Grub in the mbr, select to put it on whichever partition you put the Mint (or other Linux) system.

So, can you boot windows or is the sound your only problem?

Hi there yancek, apologies for the delay in this reply and thank you for your Post.

It was several months ago when Mint/Mate/Nadia 14 was attempted to be installed alongside Windows 7 Home Premium (have not been able to rake up the nerve to try and do it again), but what happened is that after Mint was installed i could not boot into Windows any more, and had to reinstall Win 7 to solve it. From what i can gather on Web, boot-sector problems when Linux is installed alongside Windows is not unusual, but not being a Geek am out of my depth with this stuff.

Have got another (not installed) HDD that Linux could go on, but am not exactly overwhelmed with enthusiasm about trying to install it at the moment, and which is why would go for dual-boot on present 1,000 GB HDD (should be plenty of room for both Decks) if an absolutely failsafe way of doing it could be found (once the installation disk has cranked-up there is no way to bail-out) but cannot face the idea of losing the Win 7 Deck again (to make matters even more daunting have been banned by &*@%#*&!!! Microsoft from being able to automatically activate any more reinstallations of Windows 7 (apparantly you are only allowed 5-10 reinstalls before the Microsoft server refuses to activate the OS any more, and from now on i have to each time phone them (their Indian call-center!!!) to obtain a 42-digit activation sequence, which is lot harder to do than it sounds!!! i paid a lot of dough for the Win 7 disk, but Gates still owns it!!!

As for sound on Mint, could not find a way to get it going when Mint was installed, and about a week ago played around with Mint "Live" but could not find a way to get sound with that either.

Yancek, have several times carefully read your Post, but afraid am pretty confused: you say that the Linux Grub Bootloader can be made to go on the Linux Partition instead of into MBR? How can this be done? Does this require a Partition for Linux having to be manually created using the Mint installation disk? i do not know how to create Partitions. Also, how is the Linux Grub Bootloader able to be made to install onto the Linux Partition?

As said, am WAY out of depth with this stuff (as is obvious!!!) but am not going to give up on Linux.

Thanks again for your Post yancek, i need all the help i can get!!!

But you could boot Mint? That is pretty bizarre, unusual to say the least. I've had an HP Desktop w/windows 7 for over three years and have installed 50+ Linux distros at different time and never had a problem booting windows from any of them. Bad Luck on your part I guess.

Don't think so. Boot sectors are on each partition so there would be separate files for your windows partition and your Linux partition. The problem usually comes from people who don't understand the boot process. For example, a default installation of Mint as well as any Linux I've used will ask if you want to install the bootloader to the mbr or partition. In some cases, you have the option to not install at all which can be a problem. Windows does the same as far as overwriting the bootloader. The difference being windows doesn't give you any option or inform you that it's being done, at least to my knowledge.

If you are unfamiliar with Linux/Mint, you can just use it on a Live CD/DVD and try it out until you are familiar with it. The disadvantage is that you can't change/add anything as it is a read-only medium. You can install it on a flash drive as a Live CD with persistence which will allow you to make some changes. You could go to the sites for 'unetbootin' or 'pendrivelinux' and read about them as they will create the Linux Live CD and have versions for windows so you can create it while using windows 7. Another possibility is virtual software of which there are several version. I've only used VirtualBox and it works fine. You basically download the Linux iso file on windows and then boot it in VirtualBox and you can use it as a regular operating system. There are disadvantages to it, the primary being that everything will be slower than on a regular hard drive install. Worth looking into though.

You have the option to install the Mint bootloader to any partition during the OS installation. During the installation, you will come to a window labelled "Installation Type". Near the bottom of that window, you will see 'Device for bootloader installation' and below it a tab and on the far right of the tab, a down arrow. Click the arrow and it will show all the partitions the installer has recognized. You would then select the partition on which you are installing Mint. That would have been done in the main window above this tab.

You should first create the partition on which to install Linux. You can do this in windows or you can do it during the installation. If you do it while installing Mint, you would simply click on an available partition in the main window of the Installation type page, example would be '/dev/sda5'. You will see this in the main window. It will also show 'Type' as well as other info. If you see 'Type' ntfs, that is a windows partition and if you install there it will overwrite anything on that partition. If you have a partition you are willing to use and overwrite, you wouldclick it in the main windows to highlight and then click the 'Change' tab below the window. If you have free space, you click it to highlight it and then click the Add tab. In either case you will see a new 'Edit partition' window where you set the size, filesystem type and mount point.

If you do select to install to the partition instead of the mbr, you won't be able to boot Mint unless you configure the windows bootloader manually. Good luck with that! I guess you can still download EasyBCD and install it on windows 7. It uses Grub4Dos to boot Linux, at least that's my understanding.

Given your situation, I would think creating a persistent installation of a flash drive or using VirtualBox would be a good way to learn. There is also a program called Mint4Win which comes with Mint and installs Mint as a program inside windows. I've never tried it so don't know anything about it other than what I have read.

Hello yancek,

Thank you for your Post; bit the bullet and tried to again install Linux Mint/Mate Nadia (from DVD burned by guy in my area who burns Linux onto DVD's) and was utter Fail.

What was done is this:

Put Linux/Nadia DVD in, then booted PC, which then showed Menu with this:

Start Linux + Mint
Start In Compatibility Mode
Integrity Check
Memory Test
Boot From Local Drive

Chose "Start Linux + Mint" and ended up with "Mint" Desktop which had "Install Linux Mint" icon on it, so clicked on that, and the entire operation then stalled; could not find a way out, but somehow was able to shut everyhing down and reboot back into Windows, whilst dreading that just like last time, Windows 7 Deck would not be there any more.

yancek, i know that you Linux Geeks do not like criticism about the Un-User-Friendliness of your Platforms (this fact actually is your biggest weakness) but the fact is your Linux Operating Systems are made for Geeks and nobody else.

What this means is that 99.99% of computer-users are shut out of Linux.

And therefore are trapped helplessly by the Unix/Linux Thief William Gates.

What hardware do you have? How old/new is this computer? If you were previously able to install and this time it froze when you clicked install it could be a bad burn of the DVD for one thing, don't know.

Personally, I'm just a user. Don't work in IT at all, never have. They are not 'our' operating systems. If you have a complaint about a specific OS, the Mint developers and most other have their own forums which would be the place to go to complain. You are also jumping to conclusions by stating the fault lies with Mint. There are tens of millions of people world-wide successfully using it! With a specific problem such as you have, this is as good a place to come as any. More info will probably enable someone here to help you install it.

Some possibilities are a bad download (did the person you got the DVD from do an md5 check to verify the download?), did he burn at low rate? Has this DVD been used successfully to install before, on this or any other machine? Is this the same DVD you used to install Mint the last time?

Hello yancek

Thank you for your latest Post; yancek, i want Linux Deck, "Nadia" 64-bit, and will do what it takes to get one.

yancek i got Linux Mint/Mate 14/ Nadia installation disk from a very good place: a local dude who is expert burner of disks, you can see his website here: http://www.copyleft.co.nz/

It is not the disk that is the problem.

You need to know more about my computer,which is a PC, and here are the details:


System Specification---7/21/2013 5:56:38 AM

Windows Windows 7 Home Premium Edition (64-bit) Service Pack 1 (Build 7601)
Internet Explorer 9.10.9200.16635
Memory (RAM) 3840 MB
CPU Info AMD Athlon(tm) II X2 260 Processor
CPU Speed 3209.0 MHz
Sound Card Speakers (VIA High Definition A |
Display Adapters NVIDIA GeForce 7025 / NVIDIA nForce 630a | RDPDD Chained DD | RDP Encoder Mirror Driver | RDP Reflector Display Driver | BB Capture Driver
Monitors 1x; Generic Non-PnP Monitor |
Screen Resolution 1024 X 768 - 32 bit
Network Network Present
Network Adapters NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller
CD / DVD Drives 1x (D: | ) D: ATAPI iHAS120 D
Ports COM Ports NOT Present. LPT1
Mouse 3 Button Wheel Mouse Present
Hard Disks C: 931.4GB
Hard Disks - Free C: 885.9GB
USB Controllers 2 host controllers.
Firewire (1394) Not Detected
Manufacturer * American Megatrends Inc.
Product Make * To Be Filled By O.E.M.
AC Power Status OnLine
BIOS Info | |
Time Zone New Zealand Standard Time
Battery Status No Battery
Motherboard * ASRock N68-VS3 FX
IP Address 192.168.178.24 |
MAC Address BC-5F-F4-58-39-0D
Host Name KARLY
SM BIOS P1.30
System Spec
http://www.alexnolan.net


yancek as you can see, is very low-end Motherboard (AsRock!!!) so maybe trying to get Linux established on an AsRock/Windows 7 system is like a Bhuddist Monk attempting to be a WarMonger???

But how can this be possible???

yancek, am hoping you will reply because am extremly confused!!!

You should not have any problem with the hardware based on the information you posted. Just to clarify what you are doing, you previously had Ubuntu installed and installed Mint "over" the Ubuntu and had problems and are now trying to reinstall to the same partition(s), is that correct? You can boot windows 7?

Is this DVD the same one you previously used to install Mint? There are any number of reasons a DVD will be bad. I read posts frequently where people bought a magazine with a Linux CD or bought one online and it was bad. Test it in VirtualBox or on another computer. If it freezes when you click install, does anything else happen? Do you get any on-screen messages? Can you try to navigate Mint without trying to install, opening a terminal or file manager? If you can open a terminal, you might run this command: sudo fdisk -l(Lower case Letter L in the command) and posting the output here.

What version of Mint 14 Nadia. Codecs, No Codecs,Cinnamon,KDE,Mate? Just wondering. Did you shrink Windows 7 first with Windows disk manager and do a chkdisk when done shrinking partition first. Before any install is even tried. You would be better off answering my questions, because every computer is different. Yanek knows me

Another thing. Instead of hitting the install button blindly and trusting blind luck to see you through. Boot the Mint DVD you have in Compatibility mode. Do not even touch the install button yet. Open a Terminal and post out put of

(that is a lower case L after the dash) so yanek can see first how you windows partitions are laid out so he can advise you on how to use Windows Disk management to shrink Windows ands go from there, (though I can help a little if needed).

Posting these links for instructional reference: http://abeykoon.blogspot.com/2013/01...t-14-dual.html
http://www.avoiderrors.net/dual-boot...ith-windows-7/
http://www.tecmint.com/installation-...-mate-edition/
http://www.howtoforge.com/dualbootin...-linux-mint-12

The reason I even bothered with this post is I already run Mint 14 Mate edition 64bit along side Windows 7 as a dual boot on this
Samsung RV510 Laptop.
Edit: Small Hint, If I was you. I'd click that reputation white icon next to the penguin under yaneks profile
on the left hand side of screen and thank him profusely for lending you a hand up. You'll feel better for doing it.

yancek and rokytnji:

Salyut! Thank you for your Posts; my attempt to describe what went wrong when installing "Nadia" was going by memory and there could be inaccuracies, it was a long time ago (as said, could not rake up the nerve to try re-installing "Nadia" again for fear of annihilating the Windows 7 Boot Sector again; rebuilding the System, reinstalling all the programs again, etc is a laborious task that takes all day and night; also in my country we are brutally Data-Capped and and all those Windows updates. . . ) but where you mention, yancek, if i could boot back into "Nadia" have got a vague recollection that this could not be done, and that a black window covered in white computer code "lettering" kept materializing, and which no way to get past it could be found.

yancek have just been re-reading your Posts and need to clarify that am not trying to install "Nadia" onto the Partition created by Ubuntu 11.04: that Partition long ago ceased to exist, due to having reinstalled Windows 7 many times since then, and where the entire Hard Drive is "occupied" by Windows 7. In other words the entire HDD is a single Windows 7 "Partition" at the moment.

yancek and rokytnji:

You guys are going to find this hard to believe, but recklessly tried installing "Nadia" again just this morning and absolutely bizaare stuff immediately started happening: the "installation" sequence was completely unlike the previous one, and it produced the "Nadia" Desktop within about a minute; this was apparantly the "Live" Desktop even though i had not selected the "Live" Desktop; clicked on the "Install" icon (which looks like a DVD) and then got confronted with black screen covered in white computer-code.

Could find no way of getting out (was nearly paralysed with dread worrying that the Windows 7 Boot sector might have been demolished again) so had to "Cold-Kill" the PC.

Was massive relief when she was cranked up again and booted back into Windows 7.

Looks like am going to have to put the spare Hard-Drive in to play around with Linux on, but am no Tech and am Weirded-Out of going inside the computer; am extremely dependent on the computer and will be horrendous disaster if the PC is knocked-out by frying the MoBo with static electricity or something!!!

Again, Salyut, yancek and rokytnji, thank you both again for your very kind Posts.

Before trying to install Mint again, you might try booting to the Live Desktop and using it without trying to install just to familiarize yourself with it. There are also numerous tutorials available on how to install Linux Mint.

http://www.linuxmint.com/documentati...3.0.pdf‎

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KNK8OXIFyQ

yancek:

Thank you for your reply; yancek, my eyesight is not good, and wading through mountains of Geeky verbosity on Linux websites is just not possible; yancek, WHY is the "Nadia" installation DVD behaving in this weird fashion???

The same thing used to happen with the Ubuntu 11.04 installation DVD where every now and then it would show/produce a page during the installation procedure giving option to create "Classic" Desktop; THAT is what was wanted, (most of the time what got automatically installed was the hideous "Unity" System) but this option only happened about one time out of ten!!!

How can this be possible???


yancek, computers are driving me to drink!!! THANK GOD!!!


Most Kind Regards,

Leon Henderson

You can boot the DVD and try it without installing and navigate around and try things out.
You can install VirtualBox on windows. VirtualBox is just software that you install and you can run and test Mint in it and it has no effect on the windows installation and does not do anything to the windows bootloader.
The steep learning curve is complicated by your years of use of windows which operates in a different way so that in addition to learning Linux you need to unlearn windows. Methods used in windows for various operations won't work on Linux, the reverse also true.
There are numerous tutorials on Mint. The second link in my last post is a youtube video. Looked pretty detailed to me. There are numerous others if you don't like that one.

I saw that on an attempt to install a recent version of Mint. I got a different version and no problems. That's probably the graphics card but I really don't know.

If you don't want to do research and read about using Mint, the best thing to do is try using a Live CD or installing VirtualBox on windows and then installing Mint in VirtualBox.