Unbuntu 12.10 Installer doesn't see windows partition.

[BlackTai]

Okay, first off I'm brand spankin' new to Linux. I only know what I've figured out out from the live USB.

I want to install ubuntu 12.10 side by side with windows but from the live USB the option isn't there, it tells me I do not have any OS installed on it. I came across this post which sounded a lot like my issue. I have a motherboard with UEFI and I reused my old HDD for this build. I kinda remember that windows yelled at me about needing gpt on UEFI and I think I let the windows installer format the whole drive. oldfred from that post informed that user to use FixParts. So I tried to do the same.

One Problem. The FixParts Tutorial doesn't make any sense to me. I want to use it from windows, and I get this far...
http://imgur.com/bjVwguK

Can someone please assist me?

Thanks!

[oldfred]

We need to confirm how you installed Windows. If drive was gpt and you installed Windows in BIOS/MBR mode then you do need fixparts to removed the backup gpt partition table as Windows leaves that.

This only works on MBR drives:
sudo fdisk /dev/sda

sudo parted /dev/sda unit s print

If drive is gpt not part MBR part gpt, fixparts just exits. You can from the Ubuntu liveCD download gdisk which is the fdisk for gpt drives.

[BlackTai]

Okay, you need to confirm how I installed windows. Windows 7 was installed on my HDD with an old motherboard. When I built my new machine, I upgraded to an ASUS Crosshair V motherboard, which has UEFI on it. Windows would not load, so I then re-installed Windows 7 64bit. It automatically formatted the drive. And now it works. If you need different information, I'd be happy to follow any instructions.

However, I will need more basic instructions than this:

This only works on MBR drives:
sudo fdisk /dev/sda

sudo parted /dev/sda unit s print

I assume that you are informing me that I'll need to type the command "sudo fdisk /dev/sda" somewhere... But where do I do that? I'll gather you want me to load up my liveUSB. But from the desktop where do I go and what do I type to get there?

I apologize if my lack of understanding is frustrating, thank you for your patience.

[BlackTai]

Okay... I found the terminal and now have a basic understanding of it...

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fixparts /dev/sda
FixParts 0.8.4

Loading MBR data from /dev/sda

This disk appears to be a GPT disk. Use GNU Parted or GPT fdisk on it!
Exiting!

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo parted /dev/sda unit s print
Model: ATA WDC WD1600AAJS-0 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 312581808s
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt

Number  Start    End         Size        File system  Name                          Flags
 1      2048s    206847s     204800s     fat32        EFI system partition          boot
 2      206848s  468991s     262144s                  Microsoft reserved partition  msftres
 3      468992s  312580095s  312111104s  ntfs         Basic data partition

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

I don't know if this is useful information or not but it's somthing.

[oldfred]

You have Windows in UEFI mode. So you need to boot the Ubuntu install flash drive or live installer in UEFI mode not BIOS mode. From UEFI menu you should get two choices, one UEFI and the other BIOS/Legacy/CSM or whatever your system calls it.

If Windows 7 and not a new system that had Windows 8 pre-installed you do not have to worry about secure boot, but otherwise install is the same.


You will need to use the 64 bit version of 12.10 or 12.04.2 and from the UEFI menu boot the flash drive in UEFI mode. That way it will install in UEFI mode.
Systems need quick boot or fast boot turned off in UEFI settings. Vital for some systems. Best to backup efi partition and Windows partition first.
Use Windows Disk Tools to shrink Windows main partition, but not to create any new partitions, if installing on same drive.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/UEFI
As of 12.04.2, it is possible to install on UEFI systems with Secure Boot enabled (using signed versions of Shim, GRUB, and the Linux kernel). This is only currently set up for Ubuntu (desktop, alternate, and server) and Edubuntu images due to pressures of time; we expect to enable it across the entire Ubuntu family for 12.04.3. Details:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PrecisePango.../UbuntuDesktop

Best to use Windows tools to shrink Windows and reboot Windows a couple of times to get it to run its chkdsk and make other fixes for its new size.
Then backup efi partition and Windows if you have spent a lot of time housecleaning and updating Windows install.


Backup windows before install - post by Mark Phelps
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2040149
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1626990
http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp
Another suggestion by srs5694
http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm

[BlackTai]

Okay, so I have imaged my C drive, created Repair Disks, used windows to shrink my drive, and booted my FlashDrive with the liveUSB installer on it in UEFI mode. And I'm still not getting the option to install side by side.

So now what should I do? I've spent all night rechecking my work and I have done everything that was asked. With one exception, my motherboard does not have a quick boot/fast boot function that I can see, so I wasn't able to turn it off. Would that prevent me from being able to side by side install, or do I have other problems?

[oldfred]

The issue with fastboot is that some systems only can then get into UEFI from Windows. So if Windows does not boot, then you cannot get into system to fix it.

I only asked for sda, do you have an sdb that is a small SSD? Or an UltraBook which is Intel SRT and uses RAID. Standard desktop installer does not see RAID. Brand of computer does not really matter as Intel SRT is Intel standard.

Intel Smart Response Technology
http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support...ts/chpsts/imsm
Some general info in post #3
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2071242
Intel SRT - Dell XPS Screen shots of Intel SRT screens & lots of details
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2038121
Details in post #10 on an install that worked
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2020155

Quotes from those who installed.

Disable the RAID, for me it was using the Intel rapid management thingy and telling it to disable the acceleration or the use of the SSD. If you have a different system, just disable the RAID system then install Ubuntu. Once installed you can then re-enable it.
sudo dmraid -E -r /dev/sda
sudo dmraid -E -r /dev/sdb

You will need to use the dmraid command prior to running the Ubuntu Installer so that it will be able to see the partitions on the drive because otherwise with the raid metadata in place it will see the drive as part of a raid set and ignore its partitions.

[BlackTai]

Let's see. I have an
ASUS Crosshair V AMD motherboard
AMD FX 8150CPU
8gig 1600 DD3RAM
WD internal HDD 160gb
and a WD MyBook 2tb

I don't have a SSD, no RAID, and I'm not using Intel components. So I do not think I have Intel SRT.

[oldfred]

If you use gparted from liveCD/DVD/Flash does it show drives. And do any partitions have red or yellow icons next to them indicating issues? Click on icon to see what issue is if you have one.

[BlackTai]

Sorry for the delay...

Yeah I do. There's a strange 128mib on /dev/sda2 with a flag.