Non system Disk error

[2 Fingers]

Hi, new to the world of ubuntu. Windows xp is corrupt & will not boot, i' over the constant virus problems and i've disscovered ubuntu, woohoo. Trouble is when booting from usb i get non system disk error. Can someone help please

[PenguinsFan]

Welcome to the world of Ubuntu! I think you'll like it here :)

When exactly do you receive the message? Is it during the Ubuntu boot sequence? Do you ever see the splash screen with the Ubuntu logo and the options below it?

[2 Fingers]

Thanks for the reply, it gets to verifying DMI pool data then the message appears

[2 Fingers]

I dont see a splash screen, in the bios i have selectef usb-hdd 1st in boot sequence if i choose ls120 or or usb-fdd it will boot to windows which will ask me for a product key wich is incorrect (corrupt) and the message says that windows is not activated

[Mark Phelps]

OK, couple of things ...

The XP messages you're seeing having nothing whatsoever to do with "corruption"; instead, they mean that your copy of XP is no longer activated (or, in the case of bootleg installs, the crack/hack is no longer working). The simple solution is to go online and activate it -- which means providing a legitimate product key. Whether or not you have that, or want to do that, is entirely up to you ... and not a topic for this forum. Just wanted to let you know that, in all likelihood, your XP installation, and the files, are still intact -- not corrupt.

As to your questions, what are you really trying to do:
1) Run Ubuntu from a USB stick?
2) Install Ubuntu from a USB stick over your XP installation?
3) Install ubuntu from a USB stick in dual-boot mode with your XP installation?

And, how did you come by an installable version of Ubuntu on USB stick?

[2 Fingers]

I was checking ebay for a new copy of windows,this is were i first saw ubuntu for sale on a usb stick for $2. being a total cheapskate i did some research and thought i could just download ubuntu and do it myself. Studied unix a while back as part of an engineering diploma and i am excited to see how far its come as back then we only used command line prompts. Tryed burning the CD but vista says that i dont have enough space on my 700mb blank disk although the iso file is smaller. Not really a computer wiz, but i would like to give it a go. The ebay ad said yiu could boot ubuntu from the usb stick,yhats what i,m trying to do. Cheers

[2 Fingers]

Just re -read the post. I am trying to install ubuntu over windows from the usb stick 2gb and wipe the computer clean and just run ubuntu

[furcino]

I would not run ubuntu from USB. It's too big... If you want an ubuntu-like system for your usb try PUD Linux. It is ubuntu-based but it has like 280MB. I run it from my 4GB USB without any problems whatsoever. Even added my own 16 color boot-screen ;) PUD lets you connect to the net in a user-friendly manner (unlike Knoppix or similar USB dist.) and is fairly small. It also gives you the option of casper-rw (because it still has its ubuntu powers).

You can download it from:
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/pud-linux-flash-drive-install-windows/

Just make sure to use the instal.bat from the second zip file and not the one included and try to follow these: http://groups.google.com/group/pud-linux/browse_thread/thread/9ae4fbd4169d99b3

If you really want to stick to running the ubuntu you've installed try searching for syslinux.exe, because it sounds like you have to make your USB drive bootable. If it still does not work, then try checking your syslinux.cfg file, which should be in the root folder and try to fix it somehow.