Dual Boot WinXp and Ubuntu help

Punk

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Staff member
So I've been trying to install Ubuntu on my old machine alongside WinXP.

I shrinked the partition left about 15GB for Linux (unallocated). I burnt ubuntu-12.04.1-desktop-i386 on a CD and tried to install it. It didn't work and gave me this before seeing the purple Ubuntu logo:

Timeout killing '/sbin/modprob' -bv PCI: some numbers

It does that for a few moments then goes to the ubuntu loading screen and stays there for a while and then gives me a black screen. After five minutes I turned off the computer and tried it again, with no luck. I re-burnt the ISO on another CD but with no luck again.

Any suggestions?

PC specs:
  • MS WinXP Home SP3
  • AMD Sempron Processor 3200+
  • 1.4 GB RAM
  • ATI Radeon Xpress 200 series

Thanks for your help :)
 
Can you boot the failsafe mode from GRUB?

I would also try downloading the iso again. Some of the treads that I was seeing mentioned that it might be a bad image.
 
you could install Grub and mount the iso... it works really well instead of going under manage and partitioning the hard drive post xp install

haha! I meant WUBI not grub :D
 
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Can you boot the failsafe mode from GRUB?

I would also try downloading the iso again. Some of the treads that I was seeing mentioned that it might be a bad image.

you could install Grub and mount the iso... it works really well instead of going under manage and partitioning the hard drive post xp install
Hey MTB haven't seen you for a while here! Welcome back!

I don't know what GRUB is, I'll look it up later on tonight if I can or maybe next week. Will that spare the cost of a blank CD if it doesn't work?
 
1.What version of Ubuntu?
2.Verify the md5sum of the downloaded image. See https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM if you don't know what I mean.
3.What speed are you burning the image at? You should burn it at the slowest speed possible.
4.Do you ever actually reach the installer dialogue?
5.If you don't want to use a CD/DVD, install via flashdrive using something like unetbootin

install it with wubi,, it doesnt require to burn it.
No. Don't ever do this. Wubi is never a option. It will completely kill your mbr and overall over complicates things significantly.
 
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1.What version of Ubuntu?
2.Verify the md5sum of the downloaded image. See https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM if you don't know what I mean.
3.What speed are you burning the image at? You should burn it at the slowest speed possible.
4.Do you ever actually reach the installer dialogue?


No. Don't ever do this. Wubi is never a option. It will completely kill your mbr and overall over complicates things significantly.

1. Ubuntu 12.04 LTS
2. Will do tonight
3. Highest speed...
4. Nope didn't reach any menu...
 
I installed Ubuntu 2 times with wubi without problems!

1.Wubi significantly slows down read/write times compared to when it is using a native filesystem like EXT3/EXT4 etc.
2.Scope. Last time I checked, you can't access your windows files outside of Ubuntu when using wubi. With a normal install you can.
3.It's installed as an app. That means if you get a virus, mess up windows or anything else of the sort, Ubuntu is also messed up. If it has it's own partition this will never happen.
4. It uses the windows MBR to boot Ubuntu. If anything ever happens to the MBR and it gets overwritten or re-installed, the Ubuntu boot option will disappear and you will lose access to it.

Need I go on?

Also, punk, try booting into it using the safe mode/recovery/low res graphics option if possible.
 
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1.Wubi significantly slows down read/write times compared to when it is using a native filesystem like EXT3/EXT4 etc.
2.Scope. Last time I checked, you can't access your windows files outside of Ubuntu when using wubi. With a normal install you can.
3.It's installed as an app. That means if you get a virus, mess up windows or anything else of the sort, Ubuntu is also messed up. If it has it's own partition this will never happen.
4. It uses the windows MBR to boot Ubuntu. If anything ever happens to the MBR and it gets overwritten or re-installed, the Ubuntu boot option will disappear and you will lose access to it.
WOW. I didn't knew that. Thanks.
 
Hey MTB haven't seen you for a while here! Welcome back!

I don't know what GRUB is, I'll look it up later on tonight if I can or maybe next week. Will that spare the cost of a blank CD if it doesn't work?

thanks buddy... I meant wubi not grub haha. Wubi will create the dual boot
 
Ok so I reburned Ubuntu at the slowest speed possible with Free Image Burner but with no luck...
 
Md5sum being wrong means you didn't get the full download, hence your problems.
I'd get the newest, so 12.10.
 
12.10 is just as stable as 12.04 but a few more graphic tweaks, I personally upgrade with every new edition.

Ok I downloaded 12.10 and tried to burn it on CD with Free Iso Burner... The program cashed twice... I'll try another one later on today :)
 
When I have used windows the only burner I have ever used and it worked great was active iso burner which I get from cnet.com
 
Tried to burn with Active ISO Burner, it crashed again towards the end... I'm starting to think this is hardware related...
 
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