Tag Archives: windows

How do I install Linux on a dell notebook/laptop that is currently running Windows XP?

Posted on March 1, 2012 by admin| 2 Comments

I’ve been running windows xp alone on my notebook for the last two years. I know almost nothing about linux but I want to give it a shot. I downloaded the unbuntu live cd and used gparted to create two partitions on the hard drive. (there are two other tiny partitions on the hard drive that linux lists but windows doesn’t).

Currently the two smaller (hidden) partitions are formatted FAT and FAT32, the two larger partitions are both formatted NTFS.

What do I need to do to install ubuntu, or any other gnu/linux distro onto one of the partitions, without effecting windows on the other partition? Will I also need to install an additional boot manager?
thanks I d I realized that my problem was just that I should have left one partition unformatted until I installed ubuntu. I deleted the empty partition and used “guided install (largest available free space)” to install ubuntu, worked well, simple and automatic…now if I can just get my network card to work.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Linux Live CDs

Tagged dell, dell notebook, drive, Hard Drive, Laptop, Linux, notebook, notebook laptop, nothing, partitions, shot, unbuntu, windows, windows xp

External LCD monitor flicker (Vista Laptop)?

Posted on February 2, 2012 by admin| 1 Comment

Through various annoyances, I’ve stayed with Windows Vista – but this issue is going to result in my laptop taking a dive from a window any minute.

I have an Acer Aspire 5052 laptop (AMD64, 2GB RAM, ATI Mobility X1100 (256MB shared memory).
I’ve hooked it up to my external 22″ LCD screen and it just sits there flickering away.

I thought it might have been an issue with the screen until I used a ‘live’ Linux CD (XUbuntu 7.10 64-bit).
Windows starts the flicker as soon as the POST screen has gone, while Linux is behaving perfectly.

I’ve updated the very latest drivers for my graphics card from ATI. I’ve tried changing the amount of memory the system shares.

Unlike other threads I have read, this problem is constant. It is not reduced by altrering the resolution and I am incapable of chaging the refresh rate from the 60Hz setting (not that LCD is affected by this).
Hi Cirric, Thanks for your answer.

Yes, I have disabled the Aero candy and no difference.

One interesting thing I have found, changing the settings (candy, resolution – anything graphic related) gives me a few seconds of crisp display before it flickers again – this is hair-pulling time.

Wish I’d bought the iMac instead!

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Linux Live CDs

Tagged annoyances, dive, External, flicker, issue, Laptop, LCD, minute, taking a dive, vista, Window, windows

Need help installing Linux Ubuntu on HP Vista Laptop?

Posted on February 1, 2012 by admin| 7 Comments

I’m trying to set up a dual boot system on my HP pavilion dv6000 laptop running Windows Vista, but when I try to load the live CD, after i click “Run or install Ubuntu 7.10″ it prints out this list, then near the bottom it says something like “no such file or directory” about 4 to 6 times.
I obviously have “boot from cd” enabled, is there anything else? HELP?!?!?!
Yes, I have partitioned my hard drive, but it still doesn’t work. I’ll try that F6 thing but i dunno…

→ 7 Comments

Posted in Linux Live CDs

Tagged boot, click, dual boot system, hp, hp pavilion dv6000 laptop, hp vista, Laptop, Linux, Pavilion, run, system, Ubuntu, vista, windows

Troubleshooting a hard drive. Keywords: XP, repair, Symantec, drive letter, shutdown, NTFS, live CD.?

Posted on January 27, 2012 by admin| 1 Comment

I tried to troubleshoot a Dell computer with the Windows XP media center edition. Windows appears to be starting up, but it reaches the welcome screen and stays there. I tried booting from a Symantec recovery disc from a Norton Systemworks Premier package in hopes of restoring the most recent settings, but the software couldn’t see the hard drive. I tried to repair the installation with a Windows XP OS CD, but it didn’t seem to see the hard drive, either. I thought I could at least leave an Ubuntu Linux live CD so the owner could access the Internet, and after it loaded, it could see the hard drive. I tried to click on the main partition, and the following error message was displayed:

Cannot mount volume.
Unable to mount the volume.
Details
$LogFile indicates unclean shutdown (0,0) Failed to mount ‘/dev/sda2′: Operation not supported Mount is denied because NTFS is marked to be in use.

There was more, but I’m running out of space. Is there any way to get back into Windows as it was?

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Linux Live CDs

Tagged dell computer, drive, drive keywords, error message, Hard Drive, Keywords, letter, Linux, media center edition, media center edition windows, norton systemworks premier, NTFS, partition, recovery disc, repair, shutdown, symantec, troubleshoot, Troubleshooting, Ubuntu, welcome screen, windows, windows xp, windows xp media, windows xp media center, windows xp media center edition