New Install (NO OS Currently Installed)

[richardjamessharp]

I have a Sony Vaio laptop and the hard drive died in it. I replaced the hard drive and I am now trying to install Ubuntu. My problem is that when I set it to boot from CD it tells me that "No Operating System Found".

So how can I fix this issue and get Ubuntu installed?

[Cybie257]

Have you installed from that same CD prior to this attempt?

If not, maybe you have the wrong CD or bad media???

If so, sounds like the CD Rom could be bad or have a bad connection??

I would take that CD and see if it will boot in another computer to verify it works. If so, is your VAIO able to boot from USB flash drives? Maybe you could create a USB Install, meaning that you would install it on your computer from the USB Flash drive, not run from the Flash Drive...

Or, since Ubuntu/Linux doesn't really care that you installed on one computer and running from another, maybe temporarily install the hard drive in another computer that does load from the CD and then switch back to your laptop...

Just giving my ideas based on the little information you gave. Hope this helps in some way...

-Cybie

[Blasphemist]

It sounds like it is still trying to boot from the hard drive or you don't have a cd seen as bootable. Does your pc prompt a way to access a boot menu at the same time when it prompts that you can access bios? This is the first thing it does when you turn it on. For me F12 is the boot menu and I can select the device to boot from. I can press F2 to go into bios and set the boot order to have cd first. Did you do one of those things already? Have you tried both? Have you checked to see if the cd can be booted in another machine? Is it possible that the cd is actually a dvd and the player only a cd player?

No offense, it is just good to always cover all the basics first.

[richardjamessharp]

I tested the CD on another machine and eveything was perfectly fine. I attempted to install from a USB Flash Drive and it did the exact same thing.

I went through and removed everything from the boot order except the the Optical Drive and it is still doing the same thing. I wanted to make sure it wasnt trying to boot from the hard drive.

I just dont understand. I have never had this much trouble with an install in my entire life. Makes me wanna throw the laptop in the trash.

As far as a boot menu goes. It has no prompts for Bios or a Boot Menu. F2 accesses Bios, but I have tried every other "F" key to no avail to find a boot menu.

[Cybie257]

Have you ever tried to 'boot' off of a CD with that laptop in the past?

As always, I recommend checking the website and see if there is any BIOS updates that correct such problems.

Other than that, the only other question I have is the age of the laptop? Some older laptops had difficulties in booting from CD/Flash Drives, especially if the CD was burned...

-Cybie

[richardjamessharp]

I have never booted from CD with it in the past. It is about three years old as far as Bios updates as far as I know its up to date. I checked the website and the current version of Bios is correct.

Just strange.