Ubuntu Reinstallation and possible hardware issue

[jcmusicman89]

about a month ago I installed ubuntu for the first time. so I am new to linux and ubuntu. my first installation worked but i couldn't use the update manager and package... what ever its called hahaha. well anyway, a friend of mine told me it was probably files lost or errors that occurred when i downloaded the disc image. so i just requested the cd since its free. so once i got the disc i wasnt trying to fix anything that might have been lost i just decided i would try to reinstall ubuntu completely. the installation goes fine until its about 85% then the screen goes blank and nothing else happens? so i can't do anything with the computer right now?

any ideas what it could be?

[devils casper]

Hi and Welcome !

It looks your first installation CD was better than the one you received from Ubuntu.
Post your machine's specs here.

[jcmusicman89]

Asus G50V i looked up the specs cuz i dont remember but they dont look right so im not sure.

i tried to install opensuse as well and i couldn't get anything to happen at all with that. when i turn it on it just says:

GRUB loading.
error: file not found
grub rescue>

when i was still able to use ubuntu there was an HD icon and it said my hard drive had some kind of problem too

[devils casper]

Boot up from Ubuntu LiveCD, open Terminal and execute this

sudo fdisk -l

Post output here.

* Its small L in fdisk -l.

I would suggest you to try reinstalling Ubuntu using first CD.

[devils casper]

Boot up from Ubuntu LiveCD, open Terminal and execute this

sudo fdisk -l

Post output here.

* Its small L in fdisk -l.

I would suggest you to try reinstalling Ubuntu using first CD.

[Kir_B]

I too, had something similar happen to me. With both the jaunty and the karmic live cd's, My problems went as follows:

I could only access the jaunty liveCD in "Safe graphics mode" for both the demo and installation options. Without the "Safe graphics mode", once it was loaded past the initial screen, I could only access the bottom right hand quarter of the window in the upper left quarter of my monitor. I couldn't see everything and therefore couldn't do anything.

With the Karmic CD I again couldn't get full screen in normal demo and install modes. In safe graphics mode, I get lots of text that eventually stops and proceeds no further, ending each attempt.

Problem discovered: A short while ago I took a closer inspection of my box and discovered that my original presumption that it was an i386 architecture was flat out wrong and that it is indeed an amd64. Needless to say, I stumbled onto your problem while seeking reinstallation information concerning my problem.

So check your computer and the CD again!

I hope that helps you, it would have helped me two months ago!!!

[jcmusicman89]

ok so I installed ubuntu using the first cd. comparing the two cds on another computer the one i got from ubuntu was i386 and i needed amd64, which the first cd is.

ok once i restarted the computer with ubuntu installed this message popped up.

gdu-notification-daemon
A hard disk may be failing
One or more har disks report health
problems. Click the icon to get more
information.

so i clicked the icon and it said

200 GB HD - ATA ST9200420AS
Disk has many bad sectors

I opened the terminal and this is what i got:

Disk /dev/sda: 200.0 GB, 200049647616 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 24321 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x31c655aa

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 23330 187398193+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 23331 24321 7960207+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 23331 24321 7960176 82 Linux swap / Solaris

so now it works but there is no internet connection. the icon that usually appears on the top right of the screen isnt there. and even when i try to add a wireless connection through Network Connections nothing happens

[techieMoe]

I could only access the jaunty liveCD in "Safe graphics mode" for both the demo and installation options. Without the "Safe graphics mode", once it was loaded past the initial screen, I could only access the bottom right hand quarter of the window in the upper left quarter of my monitor. I couldn't see everything and therefore couldn't do anything.

With the Karmic CD I again couldn't get full screen in normal demo and install modes. In safe graphics mode, I get lots of text that eventually stops and proceeds no further, ending each attempt.

Problem discovered: A short while ago I took a closer inspection of my box and discovered that my original presumption that it was an i386 architecture was flat out wrong and that it is indeed an amd64. Needless to say, I stumbled onto your problem while seeking reinstallation information concerning my problem.

So check your computer and the CD again!

I hope that helps you, it would have helped me two months ago!!!

This was not your issue. 64-bit CPUs are capable of running legacy X86-based distributions without any of the errors you described. More than likely the graphics driver for your computer was simply newer on the 64-bit version you downloaded.

[techieMoe]

ok so I installed ubuntu using the first cd. comparing the two cds on another computer the one i got from ubuntu was i386 and i needed amd64, which the first cd is.

ok once i restarted the computer with ubuntu installed this message popped up.

gdu-notification-daemon
A hard disk may be failing
One or more har disks report health
problems. Click the icon to get more
information.

so i clicked the icon and it said

200 GB HD - ATA ST9200420AS
Disk has many bad sectors

I opened the terminal and this is what i got:

Disk /dev/sda: 200.0 GB, 200049647616 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 24321 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x31c655aa

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 23330 187398193+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 23331 24321 7960207+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 23331 24321 7960176 82 Linux swap / Solaris

so now it works but there is no internet connection. the icon that usually appears on the top right of the screen isnt there. and even when i try to add a wireless connection through Network Connections nothing happens

Those errors mean you're looking at a hardware issue. Specifically, your harddrive is likely about to fail.

[jcmusicman89]

ok, thats what i was thinking. that sucks hahaha!!! so is there anything i can do besides just replacing it?