Failed upgrade

[jsmnuk2764]

I am just recovering from a major disaster. Long story short, I tried to upgrade from 12.04 to 12.10 and I lost Ubuntu --- no apps, no nothing, I had to shut down the machine hard manually. Later, I tried burning an Ubuntu Server DVD (Nero told me that I had to burn it onto a CD), and that was probably the wrong .iso file anyway. This story gets better --- the Server files produced no file like the try-or-install option, so after the install running me around in circles, I finally thought that I had it, but by then I had lost both Ubuntu AND Windows. The machine's in the shop now, and they got Windows back (with the few files I had gone forever, the rest are on an external hard drive and should be OK)http://ubuntuforums.org/images/icons/icon8.png. I know that it's Windows 7 Ultimate with a 32-bit system, and I'm certain that I have more than 2 GB RAM. Which official Ubuntu download should I try, the 64-bit or the 32-bit with less than 2 GB RAM, if I am to again avoid disaster?

[oldfred]

Moved to your own thread as your issue is not at all like the original poster.

I only have 1.5GB of RAM in laptop and run 64 bit which is probably below what users should use, but I have 64 bit on desktop and I wanted the same version. But 2006 laptop has old Intel video and Unity is so slow as to be unusable, so I run fallback/flashback which is the older menu like gnome2 was. That runs fine, if I do not load too many apps at once.
Others may suggest Other flavors which also have lighter weight gui/desktop, like Xubuntu or Lubuntu. Depends more on what you like.

Screen shots comparing flavors
http://askubuntu.com/questions/65083/what-different-desktop-environments-and-shells-are-available


Server install has no live mode. It is terminal but with text based screens.

The 12.10 version expired in April, so you could not update to it. Not sure why it would offer that? It should have offered update to 14.04.

Also instructions for DVD or USB flash drive
http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download
Write image or burn image not copy ISO as one large file to flash or DVD.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/USB%20Installation%20Media
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick