My Fate in your hands ...

[Atlus]

Hi all,

I hope someone can help me... im running out of time and here is what happened, enjoy:

So, I work remotely for a company connecting through VPN and using Citrix on a Laptop with pre-installed Windows 7. It worked fine up until around 2 days ago, when I wanted to start as usual my Laptop and Windows 7 barely manages to load up. It bringt me to the login screen, which already takes way more time than usual but its takes ages to eventually beeing logged in - hours actually - the harddisc seems to have problems, not making the usual sounds, just little noises, like it would be loading, stopping, loading ... impossible to work in any way.. cant even load up any applications. So lucky me, i was off yesterday and still am today and have to work tomorrow, in about 18 hours...

What did I do so far? First I downloaded Ubuntu , made an USB Stick with it, loaded it up, perfect... i might be not the worst newbie in Computers (used Mandrake like ages ago) so I managed to get VPN running and got the Citrix ICA thing... managed to log in through the Stick .. amazing to me, so far so good.

Next thing I did, I downloaded the Ultimate Boot Disc and made a CD, started it and used HDAT2 to test my harddisc (RAM is definatly fine, I checked before), here I dont fully understand everything but it tells me about MBR Errors... so from what I understand the MBR Errors are some starting partition thing... how to fix that, I have no clue and basically I dont think I will manage in time.

So, I downloaded the latest Ubuntu Version, made a CD and tried to install BUT ... I want to keep my Windows 7, I still need the files and will get them at some point, I can access all of them through Ubuntu anyway at the moment... I tried following the manual - how to - thing .. BUT I dont have any option to do "install ubuntu alongside windows 7" ... i can chose between erasing all windows 7 or other .. and the other, it lists me:

/dev/sda
/dev/sda1 14221 MB
/dev/sda2 104 MB
/dev/sda3 485779 MB


But, manually doing this, I dont feel confident knowing what im doing ... I thought there is an option, like years ago in Mandrake where I just say how much space I want to give to Linux and thats it... I dont want to erase anything by mistake... please, someone tell me, how do I install it alongside windows, but in a way that someone drinking rum and has to work soon would understand... I mean, the manual is talking about an option like I imagine, but I dont find it...

Please Obi-Wan-Kenobi ... youre my only hope... I need to install that thing today, get everything running and be ready for tomorrow and still have Windows 7 installed... else, I guess, I will have some long vacation soon.

Thank you,
Alejandro

[Dangertux]

Hi all,

I hope someone can help me... im running out of time and here is what happened, enjoy:

So, I work remotely for a company connecting through VPN and using Citrix on a Laptop with pre-installed Windows 7. It worked fine up until around 2 days ago, when I wanted to start as usual my Laptop and Windows 7 barely manages to load up. It bringt me to the login screen, which already takes way more time than usual but its takes ages to eventually beeing logged in - hours actually - the harddisc seems to have problems, not making the usual sounds, just little noises, like it would be loading, stopping, loading ... impossible to work in any way.. cant even load up any applications. So lucky me, i was off yesterday and still am today and have to work tomorrow, in about 18 hours...

What did I do so far? First I downloaded Ubuntu , made an USB Stick with it, loaded it up, perfect... i might be not the worst newbie in Computers (used Mandrake like ages ago) so I managed to get VPN running and got the Citrix ICA thing... managed to log in through the Stick .. amazing to me, so far so good.

Next thing I did, I downloaded the Ultimate Boot Disc and made a CD, started it and used HDAT2 to test my harddisc (RAM is definatly fine, I checked before), here I dont fully understand everything but it tells me about MBR Errors... so from what I understand the MBR Errors are some starting partition thing... how to fix that, I have no clue and basically I dont think I will manage in time.

So, I downloaded the latest Ubuntu Version, made a CD and tried to install BUT ... I want to keep my Windows 7, I still need the files and will get them at some point, I can access all of them through Ubuntu anyway at the moment... I tried following the manual - how to - thing .. BUT I dont have any option to do "install ubuntu alongside windows 7" ... i can chose between erasing all windows 7 or other .. and the other, it lists me:

/dev/sda
/dev/sda1 14221 MB
/dev/sda2 104 MB
/dev/sda3 485779 MB


But, manually doing this, I dont feel confident knowing what im doing ... I thought there is an option, like years ago in Mandrake where I just say how much space I want to give to Linux and thats it... I dont want to erase anything by mistake... please, someone tell me, how do I install it alongside windows, but in a way that someone drinking rum and has to work soon would understand... I mean, the manual is talking about an option like I imagine, but I dont find it...

Please Obi-Wan-Kenobi ... youre my only hope... I need to install that thing today, get everything running and be ready for tomorrow and still have Windows 7 installed... else, I guess, I will have some long vacation soon.

Thank you,
Alejandro

It is strange that is not giving you the option to install along side.

Consult this documentation it is fairly well written and a simple guide for using Gparted for shrinking an NTFS partition.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ho...izingPartition

A note : You will want to shrink /dev/sda3

Hope this is helpful.

[Atlus]

It is strange that is not giving you the option to install along side.

Consult this documentation it is fairly well written and a simple guide for using Gparted for shrinking an NTFS partition.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ho...izingPartition

A note : You will want to shrink /dev/sda3

Hope this is helpful.

Hi,

Thanks alot for your reply.

Just a question, I have Ubuntu 10.0 (I think) on a USB Stick and the latest one now on CD. Both, when I click on Install, dont give me the option to install it alongside Windows but to shrink manually a harddisc. Im using a Sony Vaio VPCEA3S1E (one of the worst laptops I ever bought IMO). Is there any trick to get that option? Is Ubuntu made in a way not to offer this option for some reasons when used on certain hardware?

Im just really scared to do this manually, I looked into your link but, Im not really confident knowing what Im doing..I dont have anything to store my files in at the moment and I really dont want to risk of losing anything.. is there perhaps any distribution of Linux which the same features that would allow me to have an option for an automatic install alongside Windows?

Thanks alot,
Alejandro

[Claus7]

Hello,

Hi,

...

Im just really scared to do this manually, I looked into your link but, Im not really confident knowing what Im doing..I dont have anything to store my files in at the moment and I really dont want to risk of losing anything.. is there perhaps any distribution of Linux which the same features that would allow me to have an option for an automatic install alongside Windows?

Take a backup first! I have not read your initial post, yet don't play or tamper with partitions. Or else one mistake might cause you a lot of trouble. Take a backup first and then do whatever you like.

Regards!

[Atlus]

Hello,



Take a backup first! I have not read your initial post, yet don't play or tamper with partitions. Or else one mistake might cause you a lot of trouble. Take a backup first and then do whatever you like.

Regards!

Hi,

Thanks for your time,

I have the problem with the backup cause Im running out of time and I dont have around 200gb to save anywhere.. just big files... I mean, I trust Ubuntu/Linux anyway, I know it, I just need an option how that thing will do everything for me.. to install it alongside Windows, I cant use Windows at the moment anyway, I just want to leave it untouched and use Ubuntu for the time beeing (which is amazing btw.... I havent looked into Linux for years and im amazed from what I see, compared to Mandrake 10.0 ages ago)

Thanks,
Alejandro

[sammiev]

Use Clonezilla to backup your HD and you can return your HD to that state at any which given time in 30 min or less.

[Atlus]

Use Clonezilla to backup your HD and you can return your HD to that state at any which given time in 30 min or less.

Hi,

Thanks to you as well taking time for this,

Hmmm.. Clonezilla, thing is, its around midnight here, I had 2 blanks which I used for Ultimate Boot Disc and one for Ubuntu... and I got one stick left on which is Ubuntu 10.00 now... perhaps if there is no option to install this thing alongside Windows... could someone tell me what to do with the /dev/sda3 .. its 485gb, and I think around 200GB is occupied by Windows... how do I tell that thing to use like 100GB for Ubuntu and install it?

Thanks,
Alejandro

[Illux]

Hey,

I had basicly the same problem, sadly I couldnt figure out how to fix it so I took a backup, earased the entire HDD, installed Ubuntu First, than Windows, Bootmanager blablabla. But this will get you nowhere, so lets try to figure things out. Any chance to connect the HDD to another laptop, terminal pc, external harddrive?! whatsoever n take a backup there? In that case we could go through the steps I took. If u need help to connect the device to whatsoever I ll assist you.

In case a) brilliant

case b) ****.

Case b). Try to log into windows, if possible, use the ootb partitionmanager, clear some space, try to install Ubuntu using the free space.

Case a) almost brilliant

case b) ****

Again, case b) Any chance to get a 4GB + USB Stick? We could install Ubuntu right on the stick so u ll just hv to work one day using a stick - sould work. Even alongside Windows.

I ll try to finger out more ideas, keep us in the loop.

[Atlus]

Hey,

I had basicly the same problem, sadly I couldnt figure out how to fix it so I took a backup, earased the entire HDD, installed Ubuntu First, than Windows, Bootmanager blablabla. But this will get you nowhere, so lets try to figure things out. Any chance to connect the HDD to another laptop, terminal pc, external harddrive?! whatsoever n take a backup there? In that case we could go through the steps I took. If u need help to connect the device to whatsoever I ll assist you.

In case a) brilliant

case b) ****.

Case b). Try to log into windows, if possible, use the ootb partitionmanager, clear some space, try to install Ubuntu using the free space.

Case a) almost brilliant

case b) ****

Again, case b) Any chance to get a 4GB + USB Stick? We could install Ubuntu right on the stick so u ll just hv to work one day using a stick - sould work. Even alongside Windows.

I ll try to finger out more ideas, keep us in the loop.

Hello,

Thanks alot for your help,

So, things are like this:

I have only one stick, on which I have Ubuntu 10.0 still, and 2 Blanks which I used for Ultimate Boot CD and for the latest Ubuntu Version (currently running from CD). I have this weird Sony Vaio, and, im not scared of opening up PCs and all that (did alot), but this Vaio is build in a way that I think I have to do McGyver-style to get through to the harddisc...so I was thinking, how can I safely just leave the Windows stuff on the harddisc and just giving Ubuntu the space it needs, lets say 100Gb, lets say 80... even less, whatever makes it run, from there I would be able to install the rest myself. Ubuntu itself is not giving me the option to install it alongside windows, so it has to be done manually somehow.. and this partition thing.

When I click on "Install Ubuntu 11.10" it tells me:

This computer has currently Windows 7. What would u like to do:

Replace Windows 7 with Ubuntu

Something else

So I click on something else...

then I get to the dev/sda thing .. .from here, its too complicated for me... how do i give Ubuntu what it needs without harming the windows part?

Thanks alot
Alejandro

[Dangertux]

Hi,

Thanks alot for your reply.

Just a question, I have Ubuntu 10.0 (I think) on a USB Stick and the latest one now on CD. Both, when I click on Install, dont give me the option to install it alongside Windows but to shrink manually a harddisc. Im using a Sony Vaio VPCEA3S1E (one of the worst laptops I ever bought IMO). Is there any trick to get that option? Is Ubuntu made in a way not to offer this option for some reasons when used on certain hardware?

Im just really scared to do this manually, I looked into your link but, Im not really confident knowing what Im doing..I dont have anything to store my files in at the moment and I really dont want to risk of losing anything.. is there perhaps any distribution of Linux which the same features that would allow me to have an option for an automatic install alongside Windows?

Thanks alot,
Alejandro

For the "install side by side" option to be available you must have free space which can be partitioned, you acheive the free space by shrinking your windows parition. Once it is shrunken it should give you the option to install side by side.

hope this helps.