Notebooks & Netbooks

[Piflik]

I recently bought an Aspire V3-772g and I now want to install Ubuntu as second OS. I already replaced Win8 with Win7, and reconfigured the HDD to MBR instead of GPT to do so, and also disabled Secure Boot and switched to Legacy Boot.

I got the Ubuntu 12.04 image from the official site and created a Live-USB-Stick via Unetbootin. I installed Ubuntu alongside Win7 on my desktop machine already using this stick, and had no problems with it.

I can boot my netbook with that stick and get into the menu, where I can choose between installing Ubuntu, trying without installing, etc, but then the problems start. As soon as I press any key on the keyboard, the notebook freezes. The LED on the USB stick stops blinking and stays on continuously instead. When I let the countdown at the bottom count to zero, to make it use the default selection, a blinking cursor ('_') appears below, but other than that nothing happens (appart from the USB LED also stying on). In both cases I have to shutdown the notebook manually to use it again.

Has anyone an idea what the problem might be, or a suggestion/manual to install Ubuntu on the notebook using any alternative way?

(I already consider switching back to UEFI/GPT, but before I resort to such drastic methods I wanted to try and find something less nerve-wracking)

[JackE]

Good for you on upgrading to Win7! 8^) If you've got your Win7 installation running smoothly, I recommend a virtual Ubuntu installation using VMWare's VMPlayer freeware. I'm currently running a SuSE version, WinXP & Win98SE as VMPlayer virtuals on my Win7 host, each communicating with the others thru the network.

Jack E/NJ 

[Piflik]

Win7 runs perfectly. I really don't want a virtual machine, since I want Linux to have full access to the entire File System, in case Windows prevents me from doing something it deems stupid, like preventing me to delete a file that 'isn't mine'. Also since Ubuntu boots way faster than Windows, I intend to boot into Linux for the most day-to-day work and only launch Win7, if I want to play a game or do some work wth win-only programs, like Photoshop or 3ds Max.

But I think I found the issue: the Laptop seems to not like the Unetbootin boot-loader. I created a Live-Stick using Rufus last night (at 4AM) and was able to boot into the Live Ubuntu. Will try later today, if it installs properly and then runs without problems.

[Piflik · Accepted solution]

Apparently the problem really was the unetbootin bootloader. I was able to install using the Rufus Life-Stick. Still had a small problem with a black screen (solved by 'nomodeset') and gparted/Ubuntu-Install not seeing my existing partitions (due to Windows not being able to convert to MBR correctly...corrected via this), but now it seems to be running smoothly.

[JackE]

Sounds like a complicated fix. But glad it seemed to work for you. Thanks for sharing.

Jack E/NJ