No paritions detected.

[eranga1988]

I tried to install Ubuntu 11.10 using bootable USB flash drive. But when i was directed to disk management, none of partitions were shown. Only the main hard disk is shown. I got about 8 partitions and I have already installed Windows 7 as well as Backtrack 5R1.
How can I overcome this problem. I not a Linux Pro.

[Hakunka-Matata]

Please post output of code

sudo fdisk -l && sudo sfdisk -luM

[eranga1988]

Please post output of code

sudo fdisk -l && sudo sfdisk -luM

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l && sudo sfdisk -luM

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders, total 312581808 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000080

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 62926604 31463271 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 62926672 312580095 124826712 5 Extended
/dev/sda3 270100845 291081734 10490445 83 Linux
/dev/sda5 62926674 100245599 18659463 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda6 100245669 135974159 17864245+ 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda7 135974224 270100844 67063310+ 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda8 310626304 312580095 976896 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda9 291082240 310614015 9765888 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk /dev/sdb: 8011 MB, 8011120640 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 973 cylinders, total 15646720 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 2048 15646719 7822336 b W95 FAT32

Disk /dev/sda: 19457 cylinders, 255 heads, 63 sectors/track
Warning: extended partition does not start at a cylinder boundary.
DOS and Linux will interpret the contents differently.
Units = mebibytes of 1048576 bytes, blocks of 1024 bytes, counting from 0

Device Boot Start End MiB #blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 0+ 30725- 30726- 31463271 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 30725+ 152626 121902- 124826712 5 Extended
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,5)
end: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,53,52)
/dev/sda3 131885+ 142129- 10245- 10490445 83 Linux
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,0,1)
/dev/sda4 0 - 0 0 0 Empty
/dev/sda5 30725+ 48948- 18223- 18659463 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,7)
/dev/sda6 48948+ 66393- 17446- 17864245+ 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,7)
/dev/sda7 66393+ 131885- 65492- 67063310+ 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
start: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,1,2)
/dev/sda8 151673 152626 954 976896 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda9 142130 151666 9537 9765888 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 1021 cylinders, 247 heads, 62 sectors/track
Warning: The partition table looks like it was made
for C/H/S=*/255/63 (instead of 1021/247/62).
For this listing I'll assume that geometry.
Units = mebibytes of 1048576 bytes, blocks of 1024 bytes, counting from 0

Device Boot Start End MiB #blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 1 7639 7639 7822336 b W95 FAT32
end: (c,h,s) expected (973,245,40) found (972,254,63)
/dev/sdb2 0 - 0 0 0 Empty
/dev/sdb3 0 - 0 0 0 Empty
/dev/sdb4 0 - 0 0 0 Empty
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

[Hakunka-Matata]

There appears to be something wrong with the partition table. Look at sda3, it is a primary partition (sda3) but it starts and ends inside the Extended partition sda2.

[eranga1988]

There appears to be something wrong with the partition table. Look at sda3, it is a primary partition (sda3) but it starts and ends inside the Extended partition sda2.
Thanx mate. I created a new partitions for the ubuntu and made it as primary as I believed it may be good for installing a operating system. I dont know whether it is sda3.
I will try to install with making it back to logical.

[Hakunka-Matata]

And what does the disk partitioning look like now? Post the output of 'sudo fdisk -l' again, so we can see what you created, and if there is a partition or unallocated space available for a new OS?

Ubuntu can be installed into either a Logical, or Primary partition. A primary partition inside an Extended partition is not legal, undefined.

[eranga1988]

And what does the disk partitioning look like now? Post the output of 'sudo fdisk -l' again, so we can see what you created, and if there is a partition or unallocated space available for a new OS?

Ubuntu can be installed into either a Logical, or Primary partition. A primary partition inside an Extended partition is not legal, undefined.
I deleted both ext4 partitions and the swap area using Acronis Disk director. And I again created the partitions as logical partitions. Now the problem is solved. Thank you!!!

[eranga1988]

senzeh@Senzeh-Vostro1510:~$ sudo fdisk -l
[sudo] password for senzeh:

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders, total 312581808 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000080

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 62926604 31463271 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 62926672 312576704 124825016+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 62926674 100245599 18659463 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda6 100245669 135974159 17864245+ 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda7 135974224 270100844 67063310+ 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda8 270100908 289507364 9703228+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda9 289507428 310488254 10490413+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda10 310488318 312576704 1044193+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
senzeh@Senzeh-Vostro1510:~$

[Hakunka-Matata]

Hey, that's great news, nice way to start the day. Glad you got it going.