Install from USB drive

[jwarreniii]

Hello, all.

I recently decided to install Ubuntu on a couple of computers without CD drives (netbooks), so I followed these instructions to create a bootable flash drive: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/linux...-the-easy-way/

That worked fine for both netbooks. Now I'm trying to use the same flash drive on a desktop currently running Windows Vista, but get his message when I try to boot from the flash drive:

No DEFAULT or UI configuration directive found!

Out of curiosity, I tried to boot one of the netbooks from the flash drive again and that still works.

I'm thinking a BIOS setting, but I have no idea what. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

[bondo101]

Does the net book's bios use usb's as boot options? Usb's are a little trickey, Re check what you loaded on the usb drive .it might matter what kind of Usb drive you are using, brand I mean there not all the same . Scandisk's usb's some time don't work because they have their own filing system built in. might con fuse the booting process.

[jwarreniii]

Yes, both netbooks boot from usb just fine. It's the desktop that doesn't want to.

It is, actually, a sandisk, but I removed the software that came on it.

After the error above, it leaves me at a "boot:" prompt. Is there anything that I could type there to help it find something?

[jwarreniii]

Okay, I formatted and re-setup the flash drive from scratch. Same results on my desktop: No DEFAULT or UI configuration directive found!

But still works fine on the other computers (netbooks). Does anyone have any idea why my desktop won't boot from the flash drive?

[wilee-nilee]

Have you tried downloading unetbootin for windows and formatting the thumb on the vista computer.
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/
format the thumb on the computer and load it on the computer and use the f12 or whatever key allows you to choose the boot from on the vista computer. I personally never change the boot order I just use the f12 option on my setups to choose the boot device.

[jwarreniii]

Yes. That is exactly what I did.

[jwarreniii]

Does anyone have any idea why two computers would be able to boot from this flash drive and one won't? I am stumped.

[efflandt]

If it is a Cruzer with U3 the U3 could be the issue. That is a pseudo cdrom (sr device) that remains even if you totally remove everything and repartition/reformat the flash. Maybe that system finds the fake cdrom and not the U3 software to go with it.

You might check your USB BIOS options for that computer, and try different ones (legacy, vs. auto vs. whatever else), because some options may not boot from USB.

You also might try web searching "linux u3" or "linux u3 removal". Although, I had no issues booting an iso from a Cruzer with U3, except greatly extended boot time (twice as long).

[jwarreniii]

I checked that out, but I am really confused because it seems to try to boot from the flash drive, but then gives the syslinux error. So it's at least getting that far.

SYSLINUX 3.85 2010-02-20 CBIOS Copyright (c) 1994-2010 H. Peter Anvin et al
No DEFAULT or UI configuration directive found!
boot:

[metalf8801]

I can try to help you but I need to know a few things for sure I don't want to assume you've done something your haven't

1st have you check the BIOS on the desktop to make sure you can boor from a USB drive?

2nd Are you trying to install the Ubuntu Netbook Remix or the regular desktop version of Ubuntu on your desktop?

3rd have you tried boot your desktop from a Live CD?

4th on a side note have you already partitioned the desktop using the build partitioner that comes with Windows Visa? Just wondering because making a new partition on Windows Vista or Windows 7 is riskier then it is on Windows XP and I believe its safest to use the built partition program that comes with the newer versions of Windows.

I hope I can help
Dan


Edit I just read your last post
The problem could be with Unetbootin the 2 ways (I know of) to see if that is the problem are to ether boot from a CD or make a boot flash drive using a Ubuntu program called usb-creator which you can make from a live CD or from a computer that Ubuntu has already been installed on so I think you will be able to use on your netbooks
look for it Under System => Administration select "USB Startup Disk Creator"