Hi guys,

I am trying to install Ubuntu 9.10 and I am running into a problem during install.

So basically I booted my PC using the Ubuntu CD, I'm in the GUI. On the desktop there's an icon called Install Ubuntu 9.10, I double-click that and an Install windows pops. Here's a step by step:

1. Choose English, click Forward
2. Choose Region and Zone, click Forward
3. Keep default Keyboard layout, click Forward
4. Now here's the problem, am at Prepare partition section of the install but the device list is blank/empty.. nothing's there. If I click Forward I get No root file system is defined.

My guess is that Ubuntu doesn't detect my HDD.. Is that possible? I was kinda expecting problems with the sound or webcam drivers, but HDD??

I booted the PC with the latest SystemRescueCD 1.3.2 and I can see my HDD with GParted, I can even partion it with NTFS or EXT3 (However format only works with NTFS, if I tried to format EXT3/4 partions it complains that the HDD is already in use - messed up)

Any help/suggestion are appreciated,
Many thanks.
Choco

By the way, I got a similar problem with Fedora 11, it doesn't detect any HDD..

Do you have any OS already installed?

Been seeing a lot of these type of problems. Seems to be a disk partition table issue generally.

Hi lidex,

Win7 used to be installed, but I killed the partition with SystemRescueCD 1.3.2, I tried running the Ubuntu install both with the disk unpartitioned and partitioned with EXT3 (But not formated since it doesn't work as I mentioned earlier), same results in both cases.

Here's what I get if I try to format a partition to EXT3 using SystemRescueCD 1.3.2

There are some alternate boot options on the LiveCD. Did you try installing directly from boot menu? Can you boot to GUI and run GParted and attach screenshot of it?

I might also suggest downloading GParted LiveCD and booting with that. Wiping Win7 may have left info in the MBR and/or there may be a recovery partition.

Direct Download

Hi lidex,

I booted with GParted LiveCD and I was able to format the HDD with ext3, the HDD was detected and didn't report any problems.

I created one big partition and formated it with ext3 but Ubuntu still doesn't see the HDD during install.
I then booted again with GParted LiveCD and ran Create Partition Table..., I chose the default MS-DOS. I re-ran the Ubuntu install again and still it doesn't detect my HDD.

Any suggestions?

Look at these:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=8274522
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1315100
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1290215
http://newyork.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=878204
https://launchpad.net/bugs/bugtrackers/parted

Thanks for your help lidex.

Actually I fixed the problem by using the Ubuntu Alternate Installer.
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/down...rors#alternate

(When it says one disk found would you like to activate, you have to select NO)