[SOLVED] Fresh install: scene locks up at 5%

[Guitar John]

I am attempting to do a fresh install of Ubuntu after my earlier woes (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=979707) with a kernel panic. Just because I read somewhere (http://kmandla.wordpress.com/set-up-ubuntu-for-speed/tips/blank-the-drive/) that it was a good idea, I blanked the drive using DBAN (http://www.dban.org/). Interestingly, with that process I got a kernel panic on the first pass. It is supposed to do three.

But the install disk showed a blank drive so I decided to give it a try. Three install attempts later (using three different cd's), here I am asking for help. The live cd runs fine, so I am inclined to think that if this is a hardware issue, it is the hard drive rather than memory but I am prepared to be wrong on this one.

FWIW, I ran a hard drive diagnostic in the BIOS and it passed.

Basically, after all of the local configuration install screens, I hit the install button. The bar makes it to 5%

Partitions formatting
Creating ext3 file system for/in partition #1 of SCS13 (0,0,0) (s...

and then the screen locks up.

Any help is always appreciated.
Thanks.

[cariboo]

Have you tried any of the apic options available by pressing F6 at the menu screen?

Jim

[wpshooter]

Have you checked the integrity of the Ubuntu CD by runnnig the verification function that is found on the initial Ubuntu boot screen menu ? My guess is that you have, but thought I would ask.

Are you burning the CD that 4X or slower ?

[Guitar John]

wpshooter,
Yes to all. Actually, one of the install disc's was an "Official" disc -- the ones they send you in the mail. That was version 8.04. The other 2 were Ubuntu 8.10 and Xubuntu 8.10.

cariboo907,
I'm looking at those now. The options available are:

acpi=off
noapic
nolapic
edd=on
Free software only


Other than the last one -- which is self explanatory -- I have no idea what they do.

[Guitar John]

Further update:
I tried formatting the hard drive to ext 3 using GParted from the live cd. Same thing. I click Apply and the screen locks up.

Corrupted hard drive?

[wpshooter]

Have you tried installing using safe graphics parameter ?

If that does not work, then try installing from the ALTERNATE (text based) CD.

Good luck.

[Guitar John]

I may have bigger hardware issues than I had previously thought. I am running memtest 86+ from the live cd. It is currently 39% through the 3rd pass and showing 4.9 MILLION Errors. :shock:


Memtest86+ v2.01 | Pass 5% #
Pentium 4 (0.09) 2793 MHz | Test 39% #########
L1 Cache: 16K 17135 MB/s | Test #3 [Moving inversions, 8 bit pattern]
L2 Cache: 1024K 17135 MB/s | Testing: 140K - 2048M 2550M
Memory: 2550M 2598 MB/s | Pattern 20202020
Chipset: Intel i915P/G (ECC: Disabled) - FSB : 199 MHz - Type : DDR-II
Settings: RAM: 266 MHz (DDR532)/CAS : 4-4-4-12 / Dual Channel (Interleaved)

[wpshooter]

I may have bigger hardware issues than I had previously thought. I am running memtest 86+ from the live cd. It is currently 39% through the 3rd pass and showing 4.9 MILLION Errors. :shock:


Memtest86+ v2.01 | Pass 5% #
Pentium 4 (0.09) 2793 MHz | Test 39% #########
L1 Cache: 16K 17135 MB/s | Test #3 [Moving inversions, 8 bit pattern]
L2 Cache: 1024K 17135 MB/s | Testing: 140K - 2048M 2550M
Memory: 2550M 2598 MB/s | Pattern 20202020
Chipset: Intel i915P/G (ECC: Disabled) - FSB : 199 MHz - Type : DDR-II
Settings: RAM: 266 MHz (DDR532)/CAS : 4-4-4-12 / Dual Channel (Interleaved)

Have you tried re-seating your memory.

I would then try testing with the a downloaded version of the latest version of memtest.

[Guitar John]

I haven't done it yet, but I was going to try removing each of the pairs and re-running the test. I guess that while I'm in there, re-seating them would b a logical first step.

I'll let you know.

[Guitar John]

The computer came with 512 MB RAM (2 x 256). Sometime later on, I add 2 GB (2 x 1) for a total of 2.5 GB. I pulled out the 2 newer ones first since they came from an online vendor. Same results.

I then pulled the 2 original ones and replaced them with the two 1 GB chips - so they would be in slots #1 & 2. I re-ran the test. Golden!!!

I booted to the live CD and checked the System Monitor. It showed Memory: 2 GB.

I clicked Install......

.....\\:D/

Maybe someone can explain this to me, but if not I am happy to once again have a working system.

[wpshooter]

The computer came with 512 MB RAM (2 x 256). Sometime later on, I add 2 GB (2 x 1) for a total of 2.5 GB. I pulled out the 2 newer ones first since they came from an online vendor. Same results.

I then pulled the 2 original ones and replaced them with the two 1 GB chips - so they would be in slots #1 & 2. I re-ran the test. Golden!!!

I booted to the live CD and checked the System Monitor. It showed Memory: 2 GB.

I clicked Install......

.....\\:D/

Maybe someone can explain this to me, but if not I am happy to once again have a working system.

Probably as simply as the old and new memory modules were NOT compatible.

Good computing.