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View Full Version : [ubuntu] Cannot install Ubuntu 8.04 on laptop, installer wont create ext3 file system



akowalski
June 12th, 2008, 03:34 AM
Hey,
I am really new to Ubuntu and Linux, and Im just trying to get it up and running on my Dell Inspiron 8200. I had it working a few days ago, but after i tried to download and install some updates it sort of went to pieces. Each time i try and reinstall Ubuntu, no matter if i let it use the entire disk or if i do it manually, it never installs past 5% in partitions formatting. It stops right when it says "creating ext3 file system" or something close to that.
I have tried clearing all partitions in the live cd and also erasing the hard drive completely with this boot cd I have. I have even gone back and made a new Ubuntu install cd thinking maybe my CD was the problem. The same problem keeps coming up when I install. Could it be that my hard drive is just failing? everything seems to suggest that its working fine but I cant think of anything else...

Pumalite
June 12th, 2008, 03:39 AM
Check your drive with rescuecd:
http://www.sysresccd.org/Download
(I think it has a partitioner too)

swguy
June 12th, 2008, 03:41 AM
Did you do an integrity check on the CD? I've had a few go bad after a single install. Now I only use CD-RW data discs so I can rewrite them if there's an issue.

akowalski
June 12th, 2008, 03:45 AM
Yea, I did an integrity check with both cd's I used. they both seem fine, so I think the problem is in my computer. It is kind of old, which is why I think it could be the hard drive starting to fail. Ill try that link up above and see what happens.

Pumalite
June 12th, 2008, 03:45 AM
Try to use only CD-R of good quality.

akowalski
June 12th, 2008, 06:36 AM
Iv been burning my cd's on maxell CD-R pro cd's. Are those good quality?

akowalski
June 12th, 2008, 07:55 PM
ok, so i used that system rescue boot cd that was posted above, and i partitioned the hard drive on there. I then went into the installer cd and clicked manual. I told it to use the partitions already amde and to not format them. Then it skipped the part where it always freezes up and now it seems to be working fine. thanks for the help!

Pumalite
June 12th, 2008, 10:08 PM
You are welcome. Good luck.