hi,

I was trying to add ubuntu to my computer that already has xp.
I got a ubuntu live cd and a gparted live cd.
My main hard drive (the one with the xp system, size=220GB) had 2 partitions, one with xp (20GB), another with data (200GB).
I copied all this data to another hard drive and removed this partition with gparted. I went back to xp to see if all was ok, it was.
Then I used gparted again to resize and extend a little bit the xp partition, which I find too small. So I extended it to 100 GB I think, and I also added a 50 GB partition for data in ntfs (I'm not sure about the numbers, but it probably doesn't matter). So there was 220(full drive)-100(xp)-100(data)=20GB left and unused, so that I could use it to install ubuntu.
After I had done that resizing and added that partition, I wasn't able to boot on xp. It just waits and nothing happens.

So that is my first issue. xp doesn't start.

I thought I'd install ubuntu nonetheless and see how to recover from that problem afterwards. So I inserted my ubuntu (10.10 64 bits, although my xp is 32 bits, but my cpu is a intel E6600 and I think it handles it) live dvd in my plextor px 130A (dvd player).
The ubuntu logo appears, and some lines appear too, but after I get some errors (I haven't written them down), if you want I can try again.

So that is my second issue. I can't install linux.

From the errors that were written, it gave me the impression that it was because it couldn't write to the disk. And it just happens that the player in which I inserted the dvd (plextor px 130A) only reads and doesn't write, as far as I know.
So I tried another optical drive that I have, which is plextor px760a and that is supposed to be able to write. The thing is that I've always had that problem that I have never been able to use that one properly. I tried different things, including changing the jumpers to slave or master or single, but with no result, even when that px760a is the only one connected to the motherboard. It is recognized at start up (its name and jumper state is written), but when I choose boot from dvd, nothing happens.

So that is my third issue, I can't manage to configure and install my optical drives correctly to make them work.

As you can see, I have quite a lot of problems, and I'm really lost. I have no idea what to do. Please help me.

Thanks.

I had this recently with vista. There are 'rescue' cds for windows about. I was able to download the vista64 one. Try for an XP one. This Site has good links
You can usually repair the startup.

Make sure the optical drive is 1st in the boot order in your bios. An error at the boot logo is a bit vague. Do you hit return to have it boot?How long after that does it crap out. Errors typically come
1. Initially, like at the beginning
2. After 20 seconds, when it has the kernel & initrd and is trying for the root drive
Anything else is a read error, which may spew meaningless crap.
Try and narrow it to a boot error, a kernel panic, or meaningless crap.

From previous time on this forum, I know Ubuntu boot disks want a disk location they can write to, which is strange. Does another boot disk work for you?

hello,
thanks for your answer.
Which link exactly is supposed to help me, the site you gave is quite huge. Plus it seems to be about vista, and I'm using xp. I don't want to try things without knowing, I'm tired of making it worse than it already was.

Regarding ubuntu, if you also think that it might try to write to the disk, then it might explain why it doesn't work: the optical disk I'm using can only read.

So I'll try to fix my optical disk issue first. Do you have any idea why my plextor px-760a can't be booted on ?

Hey mate, I had a similar problem a while ago - although I had slackware installed and then I gparted so I could install win7 and then I couldnt boot @ all . Not sure if this will help but its a solved post .

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ooting-833511/

Good luck

Thanks for your reply, but unfortunately I don't think this is the same issue, you were about to modify lilo/grub but I am just unable to boot on any OS.

Hello Elishac,

Quite the list you have got here The way you resized partitions using GParted kind of confuses me, maybe I just don't understand exactly what you mean but try to follow how I understand it:
I assume you removed the 200Gb partition since you state you 'went back to XP'?
In the past I used GParted to extend/shrink partitions quite a bit and it always worked (if I did it in a controlled way) with Linux. I tried it three times with Windows and all three times I got Windows 'corrupted' and unable to boot, with beautiful BSOD to indicate I goofed up Ever since then if I'm in a situation like that I boot into Windows and resize the partition using Windows tools instead of GParted. Maybe that's not necessary and maybe GParted can do it, I'm sure there will be people more experienced with GParted than me, but that what worked for me.

Your last GParted action of adding either a 50Gb or a 100Gb (you speak of 50 first but at the end you deduct 100 from the size of the full drive) gets me wondering. Did you make an error at first, then went in again and changed partitions several times? Maybe you choose the wrong partition at some point, not sure.

Anyway, one question: You copied the data to another drive you said. Does that mean that you can start with this drive from scratch? If so, then just boot from GParted or another LiveCD from which you can use fdisk, wipe it clean, including partition table and start over.

Not sure about the Plextor issues, but any error you get is important. If you can 'go back in' and post the errors that would be a lot of help to us. The more information you can provide, the better someone can help you out.

Kind regards,

Eric

The search 'windows xp rescue disk +download' gives 13,800,000 hits today. They have a startup guide on the site I mentioned.

I've seen problems booting ubuntu before with absolutely no disk space available. I've lost track of what you are doing with your disks. Maybe try DSL? If you succeed in getting linux going, post the output of fdisk -l

hello Eric,

yes I removed the 200GB partition, after having emptied all files that were in it, so that I could use these 200GB to make:
1. a larger partition for xp (it was only 20GB) ; I enlarged it to roughly 100GB, though I'm not sure of the numbers anymore.
2. a partition for ubuntu (just a free space of roughly 30GB or so).
3. remake a partition for ntfs with whatever is left.

(just for information, when you say windows tools, which ones did you have in mind? I think 7 does it natively, but xp can't resize partitions).

Sorry about the lack of accuracy with the numbers, as I said I don't remember it because I didn't write it down.

No I didn't go back, and I honestly don't think I made an error and chose the wrong partition.
The errors regarding the numbers is just because I didn't have a clear idea of what to do, I just chose what felt right at that time, and I don't remember exactly what I chose.

I'm sorry I don't understand that part. I just copied the data that was in the 200GB partition, I didn't copy the OS (xp) partition.
edit: unless you mean wiping the xp partition? No I can't do that, I had some data on it too (desktop, ...). Plus many softwares that took long to install and configure, and I wouldn't want to do that again.

So here's what I tried to do:
I used the plextor px-130a (the one that only reads, doesn't write), because the 760a can't be used to boot (if I insert a dvd in the 130, it is booted on automatically, but if I used the 760, it isn't, and even if I use the boot menu to force the system to boot on dvd, it doesn't work.

The ubuntu logo with some dots underneath appeared for roughly 1 min or so.
Then here's the text that appeared on the screen:

I think that all will fall into place if I just managed to get my optical drive working, because then I could try to use a xp restore cd and a linux installation cd.
Can you help me to make my plextor px-760 work ?
Thanks.

can your pc boot from usb ? try to put the iso file of uubuntu on a usb flash drive and if you bios dont support usb boot there are live cds that load linux from usb. i also suggest you at least get the 32bit version. i have 64 bit comp and always use the 32 bit vers of all linux ( i feel stability, with windows i go straight 64 bit install...)

Is there something specific I should do to the usb stick to be able to boot on it? Something like finalize it? If I want to boot on the usb, which line should I choose at the boot menu (there are various items to choose from, including usb-fdd, usb-hdd, usb-cdrom, usb-zip, ...) ?
I tried usb-fdd and a strange thing happened. It said windows had not been shot down correctly, and do I wish to start it normally or in safe mode. I chose normally but afterwards nothing happened.
Could you tell me what's the difference between all these usb-x?

Hello Elishac,

If you have access to another computer then you can install Unetbootin for example, which will take care of everything copying / extracting to a USB stick. You can also use a LiveCD and install unetbootin in there (all happens in RAM so the installation will be lost when you shutdown the live session).

When you have the USB prepared, you can boot from it by selecting the BIOS boot menu on startup and selecting the already inserted USB device as boot device.

Kind regards,

Eric

hello Eric,

I have selected the boot menu, but I am presented with various options starting with 'usb', including the ones I mentionned in my previous post. Which one should I choose?

my laptop has only one usb HDD and i use that one and it works try and see if it's good for you

No it didn't work. Which one should I try now ?