Help me install Ubuntu 9.10 via Wubi please!

[ReginaldKing]

Hi! I've tried on two separate occassions to install Ubuntu 9.10 on my desktop(Philips MT2700 running WinXP Media Center edition) but unfortunately failed on both attempts. I clicked "Download Now" from this website and followed the steps stated in the WubiGuide wherein it says there:

How do I install Ubuntu?

Run wubi, insert a password for the new account, and click "install". The installation process from this point is fully automatic. The installation files (700MB) will be downloaded and checked, after which you will be asked to reboot. Do so and select Ubuntu at the boot screen. The installation will continue for another 10-15 minutes and the machine will reboot again. This is it. Now you can select Ubuntu at the boot screen and start using it.

But in my case after selecting Ubuntu at the boot screen the Ubuntu icon will appear on a black background for about 30 seconds and then it will just disappear...the monitor will go into sleep mode and my cpu will be silent. I waited and waited and nothing happened...and I am forced to do a hard reboot just to be able to use the computer again. What could be the reason why the installation would not continue? I was thinking could it be hardware or driver problems? I am also thinking could it be that what I need is the 32-bit version because what Wubi downloaded into my pc is ubuntu-9.10-desktop-amd64.iso. I have read in the Wubi FAQ this:

Can I force Wubi to download and install a 32 bit version of Ubuntu?

Yes, either pre-download the appropriate 32 bit ISO manually and place it in the same folder as Wubi.exe or start Wubi with the "--32bit" argument.

How do I start Wubi with the "--32bit" argument? Where can I find the 32-bit ISO so that I will download it? If I am able to download the 32-bit ISO and placed it in the same folder as Wubi.exe do I need to delete the previously downloaded ubuntu-9.10-desktop-amd64.iso before running Wubi?

I hope someone can help me install Ubuntu via Wubi on my desktop. The Wubi icon is still in my desktop and Ubuntu is still in my Add/Remove BUT I am already having thoughts of giving up and deleting both out of frustration for failing twice to install Ubuntu successfully via Wubi. Thanks in advance!

[jbennet]

What model CPU do you have.

[ReginaldKing]

My processor is Intel Pentium D 945. Here are some of the specs of my Philips MT2700. Thanks for replying jbennet! I really really hope I can proceed to install Ubuntu successfully.

[jbennet]

That CPU definately supports 64 bit. The only thing that i could forsee causing any issues is the video (ati support out of the box in linux isnt too good).

Why not just install the "normal" way instead of using Wubi?

[ReginaldKing]

That CPU definately supports 64 bit.

Thanks for the re-assurance! I was entertaining the idea that maybe what I really need is the 32-bit ISO version.

Why not just install the "normal" way instead of using Wubi?

That's one among the suggestions that I dread...me being a newbie. I was made to believe that it would be very easy to install Ubuntu via Wubi...with Wubi taking care of the partitioning etc etc...and that it would be very convenient to uninstall Ubuntu(just in case I didn't like it) by just going to Add/Remove on my control panel. That relieved me somewhat of some of my fears in trying out Linux Ubuntu. Now...installing it the "normal way" as you suggested...I dont know what will happen. How different is it from doing it "the Wubi way?" Can you point me to step by step procedure. Will it be easy to uninstall it(just in case) later? Will it not mess up my XP?

I'm still hopeful that I could successfully install Ubuntu via Wubi. Getting desperate now, I think.:(

[jbennet]

The liveCD is just as easy if not more.

Just boot the disk. Ubuntu will start (may be slow thats normal as its running entirely off the cd at this time). Try it and see if you like it. Click the install icon on the desktop to start.

It will offer you options like shrinking your windows partition and then installing ubuntu alongside it. It will install the GRUB bootloader to let you choose between linux or windows at boot.

To remove ubuntu, you will need your XP cd. Ensure you have a full cd (not a crappy OEM recovery disk - as installing another OS generally nukes any hidden recovery partitions). Use its recovery console on the cd to reinstall the windows bootloader over grub (its either fixboot or fixmbr i forget). Then in windows, just delete the linux partition and reformat it (that will leave you with 2 logical drives, if you want to unshrink the windows partition back into the freed space under XP, you will need partitionMagic etc...)

[ReginaldKing]

Hi again jbennet! I am indeed contemplating now at this very moment to abandon the idea of getting a taste of Ubuntu via Wubi way and instead doing it by "live cd way." I've failed twice with Wubi and can't see the workaround to whatever is preventing me from having a successful install of Ubuntu...so I think it's time to move on to other methods. But first I am alarmed by what you said that "To remove ubuntu, you will need your XP cd. Ensure you have a full cd (not a crappy OEM recovery disk - as installing another OS generally nukes any hidden recovery partitions)." My problem is I don't have XP cd... we were never given it when we bought our desktop from PCWorld. I don't even have Recovery CD and if it can be created I dont know how to create one. It's a good thing I haven't the need to use it because just in case I will need to re-install my XP I would say I would be in really really deep trouble. Do you know of any good tutorial on how to use the System Recovery on computers with pre-installed XP OS? How do I make a Recovery CD?

The moment I became confident that I can restore my XP should worse comes to worst then and only then will I renew my quest for Linux Ubuntu. Thanks!

[jbennet]

Do you have an option to create such a CD in your start menu? If not, then i advise you against installing linux or indeed any other operating system.

[ReginaldKing]

Hi again jbennet! I have System Recovery in my Start>All Programs. Look here.

But I remember one time in another forum where I consulted for having a trojan and I was asked to run ComboFix and post the log result there...among the ComboFix Log stated there is that "WARNING -THIS MACHINE DOES NOT HAVE THE RECOVERY CONSOLE INSTALLED !!" When I asked what this means the HijackThis helper on that forum informed me that:

From Microsoft SP3 Support,

"Based on our Knowledge Base, Recovery Console must be installed before you install SP2 or SP3. If you have SP2/SP3 installed, we cannot install Recovery Console on the computer."

Now since I have SP3 already installed I was made to believe that I, indeed, cannot anymore install Recovery Console on my desktop BUT does it mean also I cannot make Recovey Media/CD? Are they one and the same, Recovery console & Recovery Media/CD?

I really would like to know how I'm going to rescue my pc or how I'm going to rescue my XP should worse comes to worst(in my quest for Linux) so I would really appreciate it if you could explain to me the options for me(if indeed I cannot use or make the Recovery Console/Media/CD). Thanks!

[jbennet]

Are they one and the same, Recovery console & Recovery Media/CD?

No. The recovery media may or may not be a full windows cd (else it will be a customised windows cd from your manufacturer with all sorts of other stuff on it).

The recovery console is an optional installable part of windows, OR an option into which you can boot from using the windows CDROM.

You should make your recovery CDs anyway (P.S you usually get ONE chance to do this. Store them safely!). (Really you should have done this when you first baught the pc anyway.....)

[ReginaldKing]

Oh dear! I clicked on the Recovery Media Creator in my Start>All Programs>System Recovery and a dialog box opened up telling me that I cannot make one anymore because a Recovery CD has been made on this pc. But I don't have that Recovery CD, don't remember making one and in fact don't know how to make one! I hope that time when I will be needing to rescue/re-install my XP will never come. What are the options for me now in terms of getting back my XP if ever it becomes corrupted or if it needs re-installing? All the more I will be hesitant to try out Linux Ubuntu if I don't have the means to re-install my XP Pro Media Center Edition. I hope it's not hopeless! Is there a store selling Recovery CD? Is it an option?

[jbennet]

What are the options for me now in terms of getting back my XP if ever it becomes corrupted or if it needs re-installing?

You can buy recovery media off your PCs manufacturer, but you may not be able to (because im guessing the machine is a few years old if its running xp, and microsoft is limiting XP distribution now). Prices vary. HP ones, for example, go for around £30-£50 (which is a lot cheaper than the £100 to £200 for a retail copy of windows).

The usual lternative is to borrow a friends disk and use it with the key on your sticker, but that porbably wouldnt work for you as XP MCE is rare. Was never released as retail, only via OEMs, so most disks you are lilely to find arent "full" copies but ones designed for recovery and for that reason, locked to a specific hardware configuration.

Try looking on the philips/pc world site and seeing if you can order them.

[ReginaldKing]

Thank you for your input jbennet, you've been most helpful! The prospects looks grim :icon_sad: for me but I'll try and ask PCWorld(where we got our Philips MT2700 5yrs ago) for a Recovery CD or whatever they can offer me as a solution in case I will need to re-install my XP MCE. :icon_sad:

[navneet268]

I installed ubuntu 9.1 i already window xp operating systum after showing 100% it ask for restart after pressing it computer restart i changed boot device from cdrom to harddisc.... but no choice appear window stated .....i dont understand reason... but one of my early partition reduced to 5 Gb as during installation i selected side by side option ...please help in this problem