how do you start the operating system form a command promp?

Are you sure you installed the desktop version and not the server version? The server does not have the gui interface.

i downloaded the desktop version

i have tried to reinstall it a number of times. and i get the same results. this computer is only a couple of months old. :(

the first time i install ubuntu was the 12.10 version and i didn't allow it to update during install. it worked great until i let it update. the i installed 13.04 and i have not see the desktop since. accept when i'm installing it.

the first time i install ubuntu was the 12.10 version and i didn't allow it to update during install. it worked great until i let it update. the i installed 13.04 and i have not see the desktop since. accept when i'm installing it.

i completely replaced window 8 with ubuntu

Sounds like a video problem. Did Windows 8 come preinstalled on your machine? If so, it's a UEFI machine, and has a gpt partitioned disk, which you normally wouild use grub-efi. That's the black screen grub, not the purple screen, but with only one operating system installed, maybe nothing is shown by default unless you hold down the shift key when booting -- anyway you can edit the grub line starting with "linux" and add "nomodeset" (no quotes) at the "splash quiet" words. Anyway, since you can get to a login, you can alter the grub files which control the way the system boots, but since the change is temporary anyway, either way you can get it working.
  If you give us some more details about your machine, we can offer more detailed advice. If you have networking in place, update things with sudo apt-get update, then see what other drivers might be offered for your video to improve resolution,...

it was a window 8 machine and i replace it with ubuntu. i just reinstalled
13.04 and after the install it asks you to remove the disk and press enter
so that it can restart but it never restarts. what do i do. should i do a
hard shut down?

On Sat, Oct 12, 2013 at 3:51 PM, Ubfan <<email address hidden>
> wrote:

> Your question #237257 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/237257
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Ubfan proposed the following answer:
> Sounds like a video problem. Did Windows 8 come preinstalled on your
> machine? If so, it's a UEFI machine, and has a gpt partitioned disk, which
> you normally wouild use grub-efi. That's the black screen grub, not the
> purple screen, but with only one operating system installed, maybe nothing
> is shown by default unless you hold down the shift key when booting --
> anyway you can edit the grub line starting with "linux" and add "nomodeset"
> (no quotes) at the "splash quiet" words. Anyway, since you can get to a
> login, you can alter the grub files which control the way the system boots,
> but since the change is temporary anyway, either way you can get it working.
> If you give us some more details about your machine, we can offer more
> detailed advice. If you have networking in place, update things with sudo
> apt-get update, then see what other drivers might be offered for your video
> to improve resolution,...
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/237257/+confirm?answer_id=6
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/237257
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

right now i'm waiting for it to restart. but it never restarts after the
installation. unless i shut it down with the power button

On Sat, Oct 12, 2013 at 4:01 PM, brandon <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #237257 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/237257
>
> Status: Answered => Open
>
> You are still having a problem:
> it was a window 8 machine and i replace it with ubuntu. i just reinstalled
> 13.04 and after the install it asks you to remove the disk and press enter
> so that it can restart but it never restarts. what do i do. should i do a
> hard shut down?
>
>
> On Sat, Oct 12, 2013 at 3:51 PM, Ubfan <
> <email address hidden>
> > wrote:
>
> > Your question #237257 on Ubuntu changed:
> > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/237257
> >
> > Status: Open => Answered
> >
> > Ubfan proposed the following answer:
> > Sounds like a video problem. Did Windows 8 come preinstalled on your
> > machine? If so, it's a UEFI machine, and has a gpt partitioned disk,
> which
> > you normally wouild use grub-efi. That's the black screen grub, not the
> > purple screen, but with only one operating system installed, maybe
> nothing
> > is shown by default unless you hold down the shift key when booting --
> > anyway you can edit the grub line starting with "linux" and add
> "nomodeset"
> > (no quotes) at the "splash quiet" words. Anyway, since you can get to a
> > login, you can alter the grub files which control the way the system
> boots,
> > but since the change is temporary anyway, either way you can get it
> working.
> > If you give us some more details about your machine, we can offer more
> > detailed advice. If you have networking in place, update things with
> sudo
> > apt-get update, then see what other drivers might be offered for your
> video
> > to improve resolution,...
> >
> > --
> > If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> > know that it is solved:
> >
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/237257/+confirm?answer_id=6
> >
> > If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> > following page to enter your feedback:
> > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/237257
> >
> > You received this question notification because you asked the question.
> >
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

its not video resolution. it doesn't open the desktop. it has this generic
screen that asks for name and password then it gives you a command prompt

On Sat, Oct 12, 2013 at 4:03 PM, brandon vaughn
<email address hidden>wrote:

> right now i'm waiting for it to restart. but it never restarts after the
> installation. unless i shut it down with the power button
>
>
> On Sat, Oct 12, 2013 at 4:01 PM, brandon <
> <email address hidden>> wrote:
>
>> Your question #237257 on Ubuntu changed:
>> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/237257
>>
>> Status: Answered => Open
>>
>> You are still having a problem:
>> it was a window 8 machine and i replace it with ubuntu. i just reinstalled
>> 13.04 and after the install it asks you to remove the disk and press enter
>> so that it can restart but it never restarts. what do i do. should i do a
>> hard shut down?
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Oct 12, 2013 at 3:51 PM, Ubfan <
>> <email address hidden>
>> > wrote:
>>
>> > Your question #237257 on Ubuntu changed:
>> > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/237257
>> >
>> > Status: Open => Answered
>> >
>> > Ubfan proposed the following answer:
>> > Sounds like a video problem. Did Windows 8 come preinstalled on your
>> > machine? If so, it's a UEFI machine, and has a gpt partitioned disk,
>> which
>> > you normally wouild use grub-efi. That's the black screen grub, not the
>> > purple screen, but with only one operating system installed, maybe
>> nothing
>> > is shown by default unless you hold down the shift key when booting --
>> > anyway you can edit the grub line starting with "linux" and add
>> "nomodeset"
>> > (no quotes) at the "splash quiet" words. Anyway, since you can get to a
>> > login, you can alter the grub files which control the way the system
>> boots,
>> > but since the change is temporary anyway, either way you can get it
>> working.
>> > If you give us some more details about your machine, we can offer
>> more
>> > detailed advice. If you have networking in place, update things with
>> sudo
>> > apt-get update, then see what other drivers might be offered for your
>> video
>> > to improve resolution,...
>> >
>> > --
>> > If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
>> > know that it is solved:
>> >
>> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/237257/+confirm?answer_id=6
>> >
>> > If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
>> > following page to enter your feedback:
>> > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/237257
>> >
>> > You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>> >
>>
>> --
>> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>>
>
>

now my hard drive isn't showing up. not even in my bios

Then you should fix that. There are hardware forums all over the web

try please to reinstall it,put grub in root and then do any updates and upgrades from recovery disk.if you are in command prompt use startx