'Non system disk or disk error. Replace and strike any key when ready'

[thegutterpoet]

Halfway through my travels around se Asia by hp mini 5101 netbook seems to have developed a serious disk error...every attempt to boot is met with---
'Non system disk or disk error
Replace and strike any key when ready'

Windows vista is dead. Can ubuntu save me?

I have a HTC one sv mobile and internet connection. Is it possible to download the ubuntu image onto the extra microsd card in my phone. Then either use that directly in the hp sd card slot to boot from and install ubuntu over Windows or put the sd into my sd usb adaptor and boot and install ubuntu from that+??+

Please help.

[DeathByDenim]

That does sound like the hard drive has given up on you...

You can only download the iso. Putting that on the sd card won't let you boot it. You need a special program to write the iso to the sd in such a way that it can boot from it. See the links on the right at http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop ( Look for "How to create a bootable USB stick" )
Your best bet is to try and find an internet cafe somewhere and create your bootable sd card there. I'm not sure if you can boot directly from the sd card, but it should work through the usb adaptor.

[thegutterpoet]

I suspected as much...cheers for the response.

Is there a specific iso of ubuntu which will be compatible with my hp mini 5101 hardware?

(I've found my 2gb usb...which will come in useful)

[mörgæs]

Changed the title to a more meaningful one.

[thegutterpoet]

Changed the title to a more meaningful one.

thanks for that Mr m...can you advise an iso for me to use with my hp????

[DeathByDenim]

I don't exactly know how fast the hp mini 5101 netbook is. If it's rather old, you might want to use one of the lighter Ubuntu variants, like Lubuntu of Xubuntu. Otherwise you should be fine with the heavier Ubuntu of Kubuntu. They all have the same base, so they either all work or they don't. It will most likely work though.

The latest version is 13.04, but it only comes with 9 months of updates. There is also the 12.04 (LTS), which comes with five years of updates. The latter is probably the best for you.

[jp734]

If laptop boots on USB, get a USB card reader for your mini sd card and it should work. I've done it before.

[mörgæs]

The latest version is 13.04, but it only comes with 9 months of updates. There is also the 12.04 (LTS), which comes with five years of updates. The latter is probably the best for you.

LTS is only five years for Ubuntu. Xubuntu has three, and Lubuntu has just short term support.