Does anybody know a good tutorial for installing Ubuntu on a PC with Windows 7?

[shant93]

You don't seem to be understanding: all I have is a 2GB stick and some 4GB DVD's.

 

[krofunk]

if you choose manual partition manager while installing ubuntu, you can create an ext3 partition with a mount point of "/" you can then install on the 50GB volume leaving your windows partition untouched.

 

[shant93]

Could somebody close this thread? Ubuntu can't do anything because the disk is dynamic.

 

[bhupendra2895]

Well here is what you can do also. Some people may not like this but it is a great way if you are having problems with the installation process. Partition that last 50GB to NTFS. With this, put in the installation disc. A Wubi installer will come up. What you will be doing is actually installing Ubuntu under your Windows hard drive. You can then follow those instructions. If I remember right, you can maximize the partition to 50GB in which you can use the NTFS partition that you just created. Now when you reboot you will have the GRUB2 boot menu and your new Ubuntu system all up and running.

Shant this is the way to go.You can install ubuntu with windows side by side, just install ubuntu inside windows using wubi installer this installer ships with standard ubuntu iso file or cd.This will allow you to easily uninstall ubuntu using program manager of windows and your windows bootloader will be intact.This process has nothing to do with your dynamic disk partitions, because ubuntu won't create any partition it will just install in directory where you will tell it to do.Ubuntu create a virtual hard disk like Virtual box and as you wrote you only have recovery disk of windows not the installation disk, so when any problem in windows will arise it won't affect ubuntu(for example if your bootloader get corrupted, and you insert windows recovery disk,then it will detect problem and replace the Grub of ubuntu and install the windows bootloader again.), because it will be inside windows.

 

[shant93]

I am grateful for all your suggestions, but I must ask you to stop replying: my system is refusing to cooperate and there is nothing I can do.

My main problems are:

• I have no backup device in case things go wrong
• Wubi is not properly detecting my partitions, so it could install Ubuntu over my files
• My disk is dynamic, and Wubi is not compatible with it
• Your "Install alongside Windows" options do not show up anywhere, my only option is "configure partitions manually" or "delete everything and install ubuntu from scratch".
• Whenever I try to install it, there is an error message saying "No filesystem detected" or "Daemon inhibited".

So unless you have a solution to every single one of these problems, including the lack of backup devices, please stop replying, you are wasting both your time and mine.

 

[leafypiggy]

While I don't Have a solution for your backup problems, except buying a 500gb external... I can suggest this:

Download Ubuntu 10.04 LTS desktop from Ubuntu.com. Burn this to a DVD.

Download gParted Live from a Google search. Burn this to a DVD.

Insert gParted Live into your disk drive.

Boot it, and follow the onscreen instructions.

It will open a GUI with a partition manager. You will be able to recognize the portion that is Windows. It will be all one partition, probably /dev/hda1/

If a part under /dev/hda1 says "unallocated space" and is 50gb:

TELL ME HERE.

If it's unallocated under /dev/hda1 (or whatever it is on your laptop, this is probably why it's a "dynamic drive"

If this is true, I will walk you through taking that unallocated space, and moving it out of /dev/hda1.

If it's already out of there, then I honestly don't know why ubuntu won't boot... But try this:

Right click the 50gb unallocated space, and select "delete", then "apply."

Shut down gpartedLive, and insert your Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Desktop DVD.

Try the install with manual partitioning..

Get back to me on this!

Ps: I really hope it doesn't come down to unmounting windows, installing ubuntu, unmounting ubuntu, mounting windows, and mounting ubuntu... But yeah.

 

[shant93]

I tried running GParted from the Ubuntu disk, and I see partitions, but it seems that GParted is associating different partitions to each other.

For example, instead of seeing three 16GB, 50GB and 100GB partitions, it sees a 166 GB partition.

Anyways, I have no urgent reason to install Ubuntu, it can wait.

Will a moderator please close this so that nobody wastes their time anymore trying to help?

 

[leafypiggy]

I'd really like to help you.

Is there any way you could, perhaps take a picture of your monitor with the gParted Screen so I can see what it's showing you?

 

[shant93]

I don't feel like rebooting now, I'll post a pic of GParted and Windows Disk Managment side-by-side later.

 

[steronius]

if you just want to play with ubuntu (or any other OS), just run it under virtualbox.

You can get a 4GB thumbdrive for $13 measly bucks at your local Big Lots if you have one and install it there as "slacker_" suggested in reply #20.

 

[tekkie77]

I have Windows 7 running on an HP Pavillion DV7 Laptop.

Me too, EXACTLY!!! I HAVE exactly your case

 

[Interscopia]

The Ubuntu Installer, is SUPER easy to use, it also gives the option to dual-boot, re-arrange partitions and set up multiple user accounts.

 

[steronius]

When you install, there should be something that shows "Unused Space" or "Unallocated Space" install to that only.

Also, grub will see your windows partition just fine and you can dual boot; however, i did read that there is some windows update that corrupts the grub2 boot loader and then you will have to re-install grub2. just watch out.

I'm assuming Ubuntu still has the WUBI option, but unsure. If so, WUBI can install as a file (virtual partition) on NTFS and function just fine, but i've lost my wubi installs before -- physical partitions are best. WUBI is great for compatibility testing the Ubuntu OS.

There are plenty of google results for fixing dual boots after various upgrades (both OS's) so if you prefer not to have any FAILS, you may consider a bootable USB drive/flash -- but none-the-less you can take any route you wish, all options do "work" (but may need maintenance).