Ubuntu

Hard crash, no root.disk now so wont boot

Asked by Nels

ubuntu 8.04 got hung up while shutting down so i forced power off of system. When i tried to reboot uubuntu later i get an error that it can't find root.disk. Rebooted into windows and ran chkdsk /r and safely shutdown and restarted computer, still unable to boot unbuntu. Checked to see if file is actually present on drive and it is listed but next to the listing it says input/output error. would like to solve problem without having to reinstall completely. FYI newbie to linux, details of fixes would help

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marcobra (Marco Braida)
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marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#1

Please tell are you talking/using of Ubuntu under Windows installed using Wubi...?

Thank you

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Nels (keepaneyeopen) said : 		#2

yes, installed using Wubi, partitioned things so i can boot in either mode. Had minor crashes before that rebooting into windows then having clean shutdown would solve but so far that hasn't helped with this root.disk issue

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Best marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#3

I think your Windows hard-disk problems kill your Wubi Ubuntu installed sysop (the partition file).

I suggest you to install Ubuntu not using Wubi.

Installing Ubuntu using Wubi make Ubuntu less robust and all problems that you will have to Windows can be affect your Ubuntu partition file.

I strongly suggest you to install Ubuntu+Windows in dual mode creating a Ubuntu ext3 partition.

- Here the steps to install Ubuntu 8.04.1 https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall

Is very easy to install, if you neeed info please ask.

Thank you

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Nels (keepaneyeopen) said : 		#4

so..i should unistall what i have now then take the disk i created last week and follow the graphical install steps? i assume i will lose my extensions/add-ons/bbok marks etc

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Nels (keepaneyeopen) said : 		#5

Thanks marcobra, that solved my question.

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marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#6

Please be sure:

*** if you are installing in dual boot mode Windows + Ubuntu

Please make sure you Windows partition have no errors on it.

Booting in Windows force an a complete hard disk check.
Then reboot again in Windows and make a clean shutdown.
Be sure to boot in Windows twice and to get a clear Windows shutdown.

***
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Then if you have install issue...

Some suggestion and tips to solve install issue...

- Minimum system requirements to install Ubuntu 8.04.1 https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/SystemRequirements

Download the standard Ubuntu 8.04.1 32 bits iso image from here:
http://releases.ubuntu.com/releases/8.04.1/ubuntu-8.04.1-desktop-i386.iso
or better using a torrent file:
http://releases.ubuntu.com/releases/8.04.1/ubuntu-8.04.1-desktop-i386.iso.torrent

- Please check the md5sum of your downloaded Ubuntu .iso image file, here the https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM howto, and compare with http://releases.ubuntu.com/8.04.1/MD5SUMS

- Burn it on a cd rom, be sure to burn your cd at lower speed you can do usually 4x here an howto https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto

- Please also check the md5sum of your self burned cd. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM

- Boot your pc from self-burned cdrom, if it don't start from cd please modify your pc BIOS settings by accessing to it usually pressing CANC or F2 or other keys (check into your motherboard paper documentation or watch carefully the screen, usually there are tips to access BIOS, when you switch your computer on)

- then to be sure your ram is ok, boot from Ubuntu live cd main menu and at first showed menu, select the item "Memory test" to test your pc ram memory

- Here the steps to install Ubuntu 8.04.1 https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall

- Watch this video that show howto install Ubuntu on a pc with Windows: http://screencasts.ubuntu.com/Installing_Ubuntu_with_Windows_Dual-Boot

- if something go wrong at startup of Ubuntu live installation when you see the first cd menu like this http://i18.tinypic.com/6tzzndc.jpg pressing F6 you can put useful startup kernel boot parameters https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions as showed here

Try to perform the "Memory test" and the "Check cd for defects" to be sure the cd is read without errors by the destination pc cdrom driver

- Booting from Ubuntu live install cd:
 * if you are in trouble with screen graphic user interface
   (usually the screen is black with a blinking cursor or screen out of range message):
- first try to dynamically change screen resolution please the press CTRL + ALT + "+" and/or CTRL + ALT + "-"
- Try to restart the graphic layer press CTRL + ALT + BACKSPACE
- Here the basic step required during install process http://www.howtoforge.com/the-perfect-desktop-ubuntu-8.04-lts-hardy-heron

If you are still in trouble... please reboot your pc and starting with Ubuntu live cd please try to put some common Ubuntu kernel live cd options you can find the boot options howto here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions

Remove the "splash" and "quiet" options to see more boot infos message and/or errors.
Then try some commons parameters by putting them one by one or together:
noacpi nolapic nodma all_generic_ide

If this don't work i suggest you to download and burn on a cd at lower speed you can do (4x), here an howto https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto, the Ubuntu alternate install cd iso image ( ubuntu-8.04.1-alternate-i386.iso ) you can download this cd from here: http://releases.ubuntu.com/8.04.1/

If you are in trouble to download you can try to install and use a torrent client Deluge http://www.deluge-torrent.org/downloads.php to get your desired Ubuntu iso image http://releases.ubuntu.com/releases/8.04.1/ please select a .torrent file

*** if you are installing in dual boot mode Windows + Ubuntu

Please make sure you Windows partition have no errors on it.

Booting in Windows force an a complete hard disk check.
Then reboot again in Windows and make a clean shutdown.
Be sure to boot in Windows twice and to get a clear Windows shutdown.

***

Always useful is the online Ubuntu doc https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/

Hope this helps