jaythedogg
December 25th, 2010, 06:24 PM
First, here are my system specs:
WinXP Pro SP2 (Version 2002)
Pentium 4 CPU 1.80 GHz
512MB of RAM (PC100 I believe, although could be 133)
GeForce 4 MX 4000 64MB DDR
Generic PS2 Mouse & Keyboard.
Standard CRT monitor.
Before, when trying to dual boot with XP Pro using Wubi, it failed after install completed, before setup.
Now, since burning a disc with 10.10 Alternate on it, I can complete the install.... Though things have been happening...
I started a new thread so people don't have to sort through the original post.
Here is the chain of events in list form:
1- Put in the disc, rebooted PC from XP Pro sp3.
2- Installed Ubuntu 10.10 Alt using recommended settings/partition
3- Reboot, starts with: No device found (or something) & grub recovery:
4- Reboot a few times, same effect, reinstall Ubuntu
5- Try it with a new partition next to other install.
6- Reboot PC, now grub works, one XP & two Ubuntu options.
7- Ubuntu gets to splash (loading screen, says Ubuntu & has dots to indicate load progress) then freezes.
8- Reboot into recovery mode. Freezes after saying something about hard disk with some path/file not ready hit M for something or wait... Then freezes.
9- Put Ubuntu disc back in, attempt repair, no help.
10- Use disc again, check integrity, disc is fine, do rescue, no avail.
11- Completely format drives (two in RAID, first is 40 GB then a 20.5 GB) Reinstall using FULL 40GB Windows went bye bye.
(Note, couldn't load Windows through grub at any point either)
12- Changed out AGP Geforce2 MX 100/200 32MB for PCI Geforce2 128MB & changed BIOS accordingly. (In case it was a bad AGP driver?)
13- Same problem, would freeze at cursor (single cursor in upper left, black screen), recovery mode produced same results as #8 in this list.
14- Wipe & reinstall, this time to 20.5 GB drive in hopes that it was 40 GB that went bad.
15-Reboot PC, no grub, just "Hard Disk Error" in upper left, black screen
16- Yanked both drives, the master connector on my ribbon cable was coming off, reattached & used slave connector on my other spare drive, 160 GB Maxtor IDE. (Slave is master if no second drive present) - Note that the previous drives were set to primary & slave via jumper, so I set my 160 GB as master from cable select via jumper.
17- Reinstalled Ubuntu after clean wipe using the partition tool on the disc. Basic settings, use entire disk for partitions.
18- Reboot & fail. It got to the cursor going from large to small (assuming graphics software loaded & resolution changes?) & freeze.
Tried again, same problem.
19- Reboot in to recovery mode via grub & I got a menu... YAY! First time I have seen it so I almost dropped my Amp (energy) on my keyboard! (Okay, not really...)
20- Didn't know what to do so I figured it could only be (out of the list) a graphics issue, going from text based to GUI, chose the low graphics option this one time & it got me here....
Then oddly enough, Ubuntu updated, like 210MB, so it required restart. I said goodbye to my GUI desktop & on a whim, hit restart.
Here is the expected outcome. Nothing. Back to freezing at boot, black screen with a cursor after resolution change.
Here is the odd part, I took the GeForce 4 MX 4000 64MB PCI card out & put in this large, no heat sink, wide, looks like Win98 compatible "Multimedia diamond 64MB DRAM" card... On a whim & powered the computer up... Guess what? It runs just fine, but in 800x600.
Note: Grub2 (update to grub, I think it is grub) doesn't show up, I don't have a boot loader now, just straight to the black screen with a cursor for loading.
I am going to attempt to go download the linux drivers for the GeForce 4 MX 4000 card I have, figure out how to install them & shut down, switch back & see if it will boot with that card.
If not, I will replace it with this ancient, yet wonderfully working, booger I have in here now & see if it *chooses* to boot.
Update:
Okay, I don't think it is the graphics drivers. I tried rebooting without installing a driver & the old card I had in it wouldn't boot, it would hang like my failed attempts above.
So I tried going back to my GeForce 4 MX 4000, fail. Back to old school card, fail & got as far in recovery as to get some message about nouveau not recognising the CHIP. I am baffled here, as it worked last time the system booted.
So I switched it back to the GeForce 4 MX 4000, tried booting recovery, fail. Tried regular boot, fail. Tried recovery again & it went through & allowed me to use the recovery options list....
I don't think I need to select "use failsafe graphics" to get it to finish booting from there, as from that point I am pretty much in to GUI, I click continue & use it this time only, then it goes straight to login...
Please, I implore you, oh Ubuntu gurus, ease my screaming chipsets & tell me what to do!
I honestly can't figure it out.
Thanks.
WinXP Pro SP2 (Version 2002)
Pentium 4 CPU 1.80 GHz
512MB of RAM (PC100 I believe, although could be 133)
GeForce 4 MX 4000 64MB DDR
Generic PS2 Mouse & Keyboard.
Standard CRT monitor.
Before, when trying to dual boot with XP Pro using Wubi, it failed after install completed, before setup.
Now, since burning a disc with 10.10 Alternate on it, I can complete the install.... Though things have been happening...
I started a new thread so people don't have to sort through the original post.
Here is the chain of events in list form:
1- Put in the disc, rebooted PC from XP Pro sp3.
2- Installed Ubuntu 10.10 Alt using recommended settings/partition
3- Reboot, starts with: No device found (or something) & grub recovery:
4- Reboot a few times, same effect, reinstall Ubuntu
5- Try it with a new partition next to other install.
6- Reboot PC, now grub works, one XP & two Ubuntu options.
7- Ubuntu gets to splash (loading screen, says Ubuntu & has dots to indicate load progress) then freezes.
8- Reboot into recovery mode. Freezes after saying something about hard disk with some path/file not ready hit M for something or wait... Then freezes.
9- Put Ubuntu disc back in, attempt repair, no help.
10- Use disc again, check integrity, disc is fine, do rescue, no avail.
11- Completely format drives (two in RAID, first is 40 GB then a 20.5 GB) Reinstall using FULL 40GB Windows went bye bye.
(Note, couldn't load Windows through grub at any point either)
12- Changed out AGP Geforce2 MX 100/200 32MB for PCI Geforce2 128MB & changed BIOS accordingly. (In case it was a bad AGP driver?)
13- Same problem, would freeze at cursor (single cursor in upper left, black screen), recovery mode produced same results as #8 in this list.
14- Wipe & reinstall, this time to 20.5 GB drive in hopes that it was 40 GB that went bad.
15-Reboot PC, no grub, just "Hard Disk Error" in upper left, black screen
16- Yanked both drives, the master connector on my ribbon cable was coming off, reattached & used slave connector on my other spare drive, 160 GB Maxtor IDE. (Slave is master if no second drive present) - Note that the previous drives were set to primary & slave via jumper, so I set my 160 GB as master from cable select via jumper.
17- Reinstalled Ubuntu after clean wipe using the partition tool on the disc. Basic settings, use entire disk for partitions.
18- Reboot & fail. It got to the cursor going from large to small (assuming graphics software loaded & resolution changes?) & freeze.
Tried again, same problem.
19- Reboot in to recovery mode via grub & I got a menu... YAY! First time I have seen it so I almost dropped my Amp (energy) on my keyboard! (Okay, not really...)
20- Didn't know what to do so I figured it could only be (out of the list) a graphics issue, going from text based to GUI, chose the low graphics option this one time & it got me here....
Then oddly enough, Ubuntu updated, like 210MB, so it required restart. I said goodbye to my GUI desktop & on a whim, hit restart.
Here is the expected outcome. Nothing. Back to freezing at boot, black screen with a cursor after resolution change.
Here is the odd part, I took the GeForce 4 MX 4000 64MB PCI card out & put in this large, no heat sink, wide, looks like Win98 compatible "Multimedia diamond 64MB DRAM" card... On a whim & powered the computer up... Guess what? It runs just fine, but in 800x600.
Note: Grub2 (update to grub, I think it is grub) doesn't show up, I don't have a boot loader now, just straight to the black screen with a cursor for loading.
I am going to attempt to go download the linux drivers for the GeForce 4 MX 4000 card I have, figure out how to install them & shut down, switch back & see if it will boot with that card.
If not, I will replace it with this ancient, yet wonderfully working, booger I have in here now & see if it *chooses* to boot.
Update:
Okay, I don't think it is the graphics drivers. I tried rebooting without installing a driver & the old card I had in it wouldn't boot, it would hang like my failed attempts above.
So I tried going back to my GeForce 4 MX 4000, fail. Back to old school card, fail & got as far in recovery as to get some message about nouveau not recognising the CHIP. I am baffled here, as it worked last time the system booted.
So I switched it back to the GeForce 4 MX 4000, tried booting recovery, fail. Tried regular boot, fail. Tried recovery again & it went through & allowed me to use the recovery options list....
I don't think I need to select "use failsafe graphics" to get it to finish booting from there, as from that point I am pretty much in to GUI, I click continue & use it this time only, then it goes straight to login...
Please, I implore you, oh Ubuntu gurus, ease my screaming chipsets & tell me what to do!
I honestly can't figure it out.
Thanks.