PDA

View Full Version : [SOLVED] Unexplained I/O error prevents install



Sarai the Geek
June 30th, 2013, 05:04 AM
Hello,
I am hoping someone here can help me. I have a System 76 Pangolin Performance that is perhaps 5 years old. I haven't run Ubuntu on it since Jaunty, when I switched to Arch. I decided to give Ubuntu another try however when tried to install it errored out with an "Err5 I/O error". In the process it wiped my hard drive, rendering it unusable. I tried to install again, with an external CD drive, a new CD, etc etc. When I reached the end of my troubleshooting capabilities I took it to a computer place I used to work at. The guy ran tons of diagnostics but found no hardware failures. He installed a new hard drive, downloaded a new .iso, burned a new CD, tried a flashdrive install, still got the same error. Next, he tried a flashdrive of 12.04 LTS which didn't give that error but hung on install. He said the internal check disk function did give errors for all the 13.04 disks, so that's something.
We're both at the end of our rope. He is so frustrated with it he came in to work today, is working on it pro bono, and is probably coming in tomorrow too. I can't really afford a new computer but I really have no choice. The only other thing I can really try is a different Linux distro but given that 12.04 didn't work I don't have high hopes. Does anyone have any thoughts?

carl4926
June 30th, 2013, 05:37 AM
If I were you I would be looking at and making sure of all the physical connections that could need re-seating.

Though I agree with your assumption on the 'other distro' idea, it would nevertheless be a good point of reference

Sarai the Geek
July 2nd, 2013, 04:29 PM
Thanks for your response.
The computer tech called me yesterday morning and said that when he left it overnight to install 12.04 LTS from a flashdrive, it actually did eventually install.
I am led to suspect that there is some kind of incompatability between my laptop (which is well equipped and not old in the realm of some of the paperweights they get to run linux) and Ubuntu 13.04.
I will bring it up with System76 and see if they're interested in trying to figure out what went wrong. As for me, the computer has an OS so I got what I needed- I'm calling this one solved.
Thanks-