Help! Can't Install Any OS!

[Lightning Dragon]

Hi,

I do believe you can still burn through a LiveCD. I have never actually tried it, but I would suspect it still allows the ability to download and install things.

The common way this step is done is via Windows, which is what I had to do; reinstall Windows, convert the disk (above links explain how), reboot a few times, turn off, press power button, unplug, plug back in and then power back on into the Ubuntu installation so that I could finally install. I think your recovery of Windows 8 failed because you installed over it, so nothing could be recovered. I would suggest reinstalling Windows 8 and then following this guide;

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...asic-disk.html

If "reinstalling" is not possible (e.i if you never got a Windows 8 disc for this purpose) then definitely return the computer for a new one and then follow the links given to properly convert to basic disk for installation.

[Cheesemill]

is your HDD partition type is Fixed or Dynamic ? if it is fixed u can not install *nix (any linux distros) .
i was having some what same problem in past , i converted my disk type to dynamic and every thing is okay now.

You have this the wrong way round.

If your disk is 'dynamic' then the only OS you can install is Windows as 'dynamic' disks is a proprietary Microsoft technology.
If you want to install any type of Linux then it has to be on a 'fixed' drive as this is the normal setup that adheres to all of the standards.

[IWantFroyo]

I returned the computer and bought a Dell Inspiron notebook instead. :/

Still couldn't get Windows 8 backup to work on it, though, so I decided to just wipe it and build my own computer if that failed. It worked, though.