[edge2022]

Insert your USB drive into a working computer and right click it in My Computer. Choose Format, and select FAT32 as the filesystem. Choose quick format and begin the process.
*This will delete all files on the USB drive*

Then run the .bat file again and the makeboot.bat file too. Try booting from the USB drive again now.

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Thanks.

There are other files on the USB too, so I'll just move them onto this laptop for now.

[alexkershawftw]

Thanks.

There are other files on the USB too, so I'll just move them onto this laptop for now.

[alexkershawftw]

What do you mean, the .bat file and makeboot.bat too? There is only one .bat file, the makeboot.bat one.

EDIT:

So far I have made 2 folders on my desktop... I have put all files to do with the Linux thing in one (just incase), and all other files in the other. Then I will do the formatting thing (you said this deleted all files which is why I removed them from the USB before doing this). Oh! I've just realised what the first .bat file is, it's the one on my desktop. Ok so next I run that, and then the makeboot.bat and then it's done?

Edited by alexkershawftw, 22 June 2009 - 01:16 PM.

[edge2022]

Yes, then you are done. Try booting from the USB drive then.

If this doesn't work, there are other options.

[edge2022]

Yes, then you are done. Try booting from the USB drive then.

If this doesn't work, there are other options.

[alexkershawftw]

Thanks, giving it a go now.

[alexkershawftw]

Just set the 1st boot as USB-HDD and got the same message as before...

I'll try the other 3 USB variants...

What's a kernel image? What could I have done wrong?

[alexkershawftw]

I tested all 4 USb variants and all 4 give this message:

"SYSLINUX 3.63 2008-04-10 EBIOS Copyright © 1994-2008 H. Peter Anvin
Could not find kernel image: linux
Boot:"

Before I formatted it, only USB-HDD gave that message, and the others loaded XP so it did do something...

I'll try deleting the stuff on the USB and try the .bat files again...

What could I have done?

[alexkershawftw]

Can I ask another question?

When I formatted the USB pen as this FAT32 thing... I can revert that afterwards, right? Because this isn't my USB pen and it's now called 'Install Ubuntu' and has a different symbol for it...

[alexkershawftw]

I don't know if this has anything to do with the problem... but I'm going to post it anyway.

When I opened the first .bat file, it gave a list of things it was extracting. Then, it didn't do anything for a few minutes. So, I clicked ctrl + c to attempt to copy and paste the list to here to see if it was meant to take a while. However, when I clicked ctrl + c, this then prompted me as to whether I wanted to abort. I pressed N, and then the rest of the messages appeared and it worked as normal.

I thought that it was just a cooincidence that the rest of the messages appeared at the same time I denied the abort, but then the second time I did this (after you told me to format the disk as the FAT32 thing) the same happened again.

And now I can confirm that when running U904.bat, it only works if, after telling me the list of things it is extracting, I press ctrl+c and then deny the abort. After I do that, the rest of the stuff appears and it works.

I have no idea why this happens... I hope what I said makes sense.

EDIT:

I'm waiting on further instruction now.

Edited by alexkershawftw, 22 June 2009 - 01:55 PM.

[edge2022]

Download WinMD5SUM from here: http://www.nullriver...ducts/winmd5sum
Go to the .iso file for Ubuntu you downloaded and right click it. Then click on Send To.. and then WinMD5SUM
After a while, a box should appear with the md5 sum of the .iso file.
Copy this in the Compare box: 66fa77789c7b8ff63130e5d5a272d67b
And click on compare. Both the checksums should be the same.
https://help.ubuntu....ity/HowToMD5SUM

[alexkershawftw]

Edge, I really appreciate all the help but I've found a much easier alternative.

When I try to log in, all I can see is my background and cursor, and I can get task manager up.

I clicked 'New task' and then 'Browse' and that way I can browse through all of my files. Therefore, I can right click and click copy on any file/folder I want to back-up, and then click the 'My Computer' button at the side, go into the USB drive and paste the folder in.

Then I can plug the USB pen into this laptop and upload the files to Mesh.

I can write click each folder and click 'scan with AVG' and the AVG window will come up and scan the folder, making sure there are no viruses in that folder before I back it up. To double-check, I check each file in each folder to make sure there are no .exe, .html, .htm, .rar, .zip and another file extension which I forgot but is mentioned by somebody on page 2 of this thread.

Don't mark this thread as 'solved' yet though until I'm finished, just incase there's a problem.

[edge2022]

I thought you couldn't even boot into Windows.
Tell me once you have finished copying all the files you want to keep.

For the actual reformat and reinstall, I will need to know if your have any reinstallation or recovery CDs and the make (Dell, HP) of your computer.

[alexkershawftw]

I did say in my first post I could load Windows but when I logged in I would only see the background and my cursor.

Anyway, it takes a while to upload files to Mesh because I'm playing an online game at the same time... so it could take up to a couple of days to back everything up, but I'll definately tell you when I'm done.

I'll also be searching for the XP disk. As I said before, I bought this PC off a friend who got it made by somebody so chasing up the CD might not be easy... but I'll try. I'll tell you the make of the PC when I've backed everything up because I'd have to restart the PC to check that and it's backing files up at the moment.

Thanks for all your help.

[edge2022]

Oh... if this is a custom computer, then there is no make (manufacturer) of it. Take as much time as you need to make sure that everything you need is securely backed up.
This also means that you will have to look for the XP disk that the person who built the computer used.