8.1 install using WUBI freezes at "checking installation"

[2scott]

We are absolute beginners using Linux but intermediate users of Windows/Apple/MAC.

After several unsuccessful and frustrating attempts to install 8.1 by downloading and burning to CD/USB, we found a reference to WUBI and used it to install to a wiped slave 7G drive.

After entering the username and password, rebooted, selected UBUNTU and see the brown leather screen with "checking installation" message bar. The keyboard and mouse are unresponsive. After 2 hours, nothing happened.

Repeated the installation to the C drive - same problem.

Our system info: Windows XP - home SP2
AMD Sempron™ Processor - driver version 5.1.2600.0
3100+
1.8GHz, 1.43 GB RAM
Standard keyboard and mouse
Indeo video 5.10 (video Codecs)
Device manager does not have any properties for LEGACY Video Capture Devices
Multimedia audio controller does not have a driver – cannot find

We are very interested in trying UBUNTU and would appreciate any assistance you could provide! We look forward to your reply. MANY thanks. If you need any additional info - we will try to provide it.

[avtolle]

Wondering; do you have some kind of RAID set-up going when trying to install on the slave drive, and when you tried to install on C, did you defragment the drive first? This response prompted by the Wubi Guide, which was accessed through the bottom sticky on the Wubi sub-forum.

[2scott]

Many thanks for your reply!
We do not have the slave drive set up as a RAID.
We did not defrag the C drive first, but the 7G drive was empty/reformatted. We can uninstall, defrag C and try again. There was >60G free space on C when we started. It might take a while to defrag ... more later..
Thanks

[avtolle]

When installing with Wubi, it seems that there are issues for some trying to install on slave drives, especially under a RAID set-up; in fact, Raid 0 and Raid 1 are not supported, per the guide. The defrag question was due to the experience of many having installation problems when the Windows drive is badly (and sometimes not so badly) fragmented. One other issue that I recall; if the HDD is not "natively" formatted NFTS, there have been problems with installation. Just FYI.

Yes, uninstall Ubuntu; defrag the drive; and try installation again. Good luck.

[cariboo]

It would laso help if you told us what type of video adapter your computer has. For future reference Windows drivers have nothing to do with Linux, so there is no point in posting theit version numbers.

I would suggest installing in safe graphics mode. To access the safe graphics mode selection, at the install menu press F4, highlight safe graphics mode and press enter. then select either Try before installing or intall from the menu.

Jim

[2scott]

Hi - well no luck.
We uninstalled UBUNTU, defragged the C drive (86% free space and >60G) and ran WUBI to install on the C drive. Rebooted to Windows, then to UBUNTU. The "checking installation" window appears, with an "I" bar - but the keyboard and mouse are totally unresponsive. Ctrl-Alt-F1 does nothing.
We are ready to try any suggestions.
Thanks

[2scott]

Hello Jim,
We will check the video driver and try the safe mode. Are you suggesting, disabling the video driver then boot in the safe mode?

[2scott]

I tried booting UBUNTU in the safe mode. (F8 at the OS choice menu) the "checking installation" window does not appear, and the cursor is active for ~1-2 seconds - then not responsive. Ctrl-Alt-F1 brings up the Ubuntu prompt. C-A-F2 does nothing. C-A-F1 from Ubuntu prompt brings a blinking "_" cursor, but nothing happens. C-A-F7 brings a completely blank black screen, C-A-Del beeps, C-A-shift reboots. Pressing C-A-F3 pastes another cursor on the screen.

Video is 'on-chip' the only info I have is from Device Manager, its an Indeo Video 5.10.

Right now, if UBUNTU is booted in the Normal mode, the "checking installation" window appears. If booted in the Safe mode, the window does not appear. In both modes, the mouse is non-responsive and nothing happens.

What is supposed to happen at the brown leather screen? A menu?

Any ideas?

[2scott]

Jim,
I just re-read your message. I think you are recommending a new installation. So we will uninstall Ubuntu and then press the F4 key when the Wubi menu appears.

I'll give it a try now... more later..

[2scott]

Pressing and holding F4 at the wubi install menu did not display any options - nothing happened.

[avtolle]

Pressing and holding F4 at the wubi install menu did not display any options - nothing happened.
IIRC, that command works from the Ubuntu installation menu, and not when the installer under Wubi begins. I'm searching my memory, but I don't think one can select "install in safe graphics" and then "install in Windows" from the Live CD menu. One question: is Wubi d/l the iso, or are you installing from the iso which has been downloaded and placed in the same folder as wubi.exe? I'm not sure that matters at all here, but curious.

Frankly, given all the trouble related, I'm recommending that you download the alternate cd iso, burn it as an image, and try to do a "true" dual boot installation. This is a text based installer, and can install where graphics cards present a problem on an installation from the Live (Desktop) CD; once installed, the driver issues can be worked out. The alternate iso image is obtainable from the same download location as the other; if using the "main page", the link is located about 2/3 down the page in the right column. Good luck.

EDIT: http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/downloadmirrors#alternate is a link (realizing that my instructions were poorly written).

[morphodone]

With all your trouble so far, it seems it would be trivial to install ubuntu normally to that spare 7GB drive.

But it looks as you tried this already?

Edit: Ditto the post above me.

[gettinoriginal]

Welcome to Ubuntu. I do not have a wubi install, so no practical advice to give you, but would like to pass this on as possible help: :p
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/WubiGuide

[2scott]

Hello Morphodone and Avatol, I read a thread that suggested 8.04 was less buggy so I downloaded 8.04.2 to CD, checked the hash and tried to install, got SRST failed errno = -16.

I would LOVE to load ubuntu on the 7G - but wubi bombs - keeps saying that the CD drive is not available.

I will try downloading the alternate text utility.... No one would use Windows if they had this much trouble.

More later.

[2scott]

OK - I downloaded the alternate CD iso, passed the hash check and burned to a new CD - but get the same error - SRST failed (whatever that is) when I boot from the CD and ask it to check the CD for errors. Is this what I am supposed to do?

After a few minutes it started scanning the CD and it is doing something now - checking CD ROM integrity. Integrity test failed. The ./pool/main/h/hplip/hplip-data_2.8.2-0ubuntu8.1_all.deb file failed the MD5 checksum verification. Your CD-ROM or this file may have been corrupted. <CONTINUE> "sending SGKILL to all processes" - then it boots to the language page.

What can I do about the bad file? Should I install Ubuntu anyway??

What a bummer!! I look forward to your reply!

[2scott]

SUCCESS!!
We gave up trying to create a 8.10 CD from downloading (even when the checksum was perfect) and bought one from Amazon for $0.01 + shipping - it was better than going crazy.

This STILL didn't solve the problem of getting the CD to run - so just for kicks we tried the CD on another computer (just to take the tour) - it worked. So, this made us think that it was probably something to do with the CD.

We found some advice that suggested that the drives and CD cabling needed to be set to "cable select" - so we changed the jumpers and installed the drives in the desired order and VOILA!! Success!!

Now we cannot FIND Network Manager (not on the dropdown list)to get an internet connection set up - so there's still lots to do. Another thread for this one...

Frankly, we feel that the "before you begin" info for installing Ubuntu is WOEFULLY poor. I am making a list that I will submit to the "bugs" dept.

MANY MANY THANKS to everyone who came to our assistance!!!!

Ubuntu seems like a great operating system and we are looking forward to converting to it. Several friends and family members are waiting for us to get it figured out before they give it a try.