BOOTMGR missing

[archeryrob]

OK, I have a old work computer laptop that I wanted to play and learn Ubuntu with. The condition was that I format the hard drive first. So I have a totally blank hard drive. I burnt Ubuntu 14.04.1 to a disk.

Went into BIOS and set CD/DVD as 1, HDD as 2 and USB as 3 and it will still not load the Ubuntu disk to start installing it on the blank system. What do I need to do to start the DVD to load Ubuntu?

All I get on the screen is this

BOOTMGR is missing
Press Crtl+Alt+Del to restart

[Iowan]

Sounds like the .iso got copied to the disk instead of installed on it. What shows on the disk if you view it from another computer?

[yancek]

You don't need to format the entire hard drive to install Linux, you just need enough unallocated space on which to install it.
The error you see is from the hard drive and is a windows error so you've overwritten your previous windows install. Make sure the change to boot the DVD as first priority is saved in the BIOS, that you verified the download was good by doing an md5 checksum after download. You seem to have another computer available to be writing this so you could try putting the Ubuntu DVD in it to see if it boots to eliminate that as a problem.

[rahul25]

I prefer you use USB instead of cd, install the universal USB by searching on Google and going to first link something as easy as 123 download it . Run the program, in first option choose the type of ubuntu in second browse to your iso file and in third choose your driver and you are good to go, it is highly recommended with a success rate over 95% . Choose USB in boot option and you are done

[Iowan]

... Choose USB in boot option and you are done

Not always an option - especially on older computers.

[archeryrob]

Ubuntu disk.jpg

I burnt the ISO to the DVD-RW from my Win7 machine.

I HAD to wipe the old computer as it was a corporate rule to get the "free" computer. It wants to install on the Win7 machine but not on the Blank Laptop.

[archeryrob]

There is not file "Bootmgr" on the disk, does it need one?

The boot folder is empty execpt for a folder called "grub" and a file called "loopback"

[oldfred]

The "blank" drive still has a Windows boot loader in the MBR. Not quite totally erased.
So for whatever reason it is not booting DVD, it then defaults to hard drive. MBR then tries to load Windows but cannot find a Windows partition to boot from and gives the bootmgr missing error.

A few computers require that you both set DVD as default, but also using one time boot key often f12 but varies by brand to also choose DVD. More to confirm you want to boot something other than hard drive.

Also if corporate locked down system, you may have settings in BIOS that you have to change to allow booting from anything other than hard drive. Or do a full reset of system/BIOS.

What are specs of computer? Brand, model, RAM, video card/chip?

It was about 2006 that computer BIOS started allowing boot from USB flash drive, so if system is newer than that it should also boot from a flash drive. Systems originally with Vista or newer systems should all boot with flash drive. A few later XP systems may also.

[archeryrob]

The computer is about 2008 and a Dell Latitude D620 dual core 4gb memory, i think.

I got a 32 bit boot repair disk and ran it. It is open in Boot repair and it looks like Ubuntu and it says Lubuntu. The Ubuntu install disk does not autorun when inserted and when I click on "File manager PCManFM" it opens a file manager, but is only showing the C drive and not the CD drive. When I try going up past Home or click on the folder/ button at the bottom File manager closes. I finial hit "go" and "My Computer" and can open the Disk, but I can't see the Wubi.exe file or the AutoRun file

[oldfred]

Are you trying to install wubi? That is not supported past 12.04.

You have to reboot and boot from BIOS the installer, it is not something you run from inside another system.