Finally: It crashed during an update

Hello.
I have really enjoyed having Zorin as my first linux-based system. It is installed side-by-side with Windows 8.

I have rarely had any problems. I had some minor problems after installing an application which was supposed to auto-mount my other particians. I managed to wrestle my way out of there, much to my astonishment. Zorin plugged on, refusing to crash.

Finally, last week during some updates, the system locked up. That's probably the worst time for any system to lock up and the result, I managed to save at first, but I was offered almost no updates after that episode causing me to think that the repair had shut-down my system's ability to detect needed updates normally. I tried to fix things with various clean-up operations, things went downhill, and now I have pretty much a trashed system.

After years with Windows I have come to the conclusion that this is finally a scenario where I will have to re-install over the old installation... I am hoping that this will not be a problem. I am fairly certain that this is the way to go.

Anyway, even as I finally have a really bad situation with Zorin, I would like to send a complement for how well up to this date everything has been for me. This is really a great way for a WIndows user to encounter Linux. I will probably move up to version Zorin 7.1 when a get a decent enough connection to get a download that won't take all day.

Oh yes, my unit for Zorin currently is a Dell dual-cpu netbook, 2gyg mem, 500gyg drive. Great work guys. Thank you for working so hard as a community to take things to the point where such a good system is available for people like me.

Dan

Hi Dan,

crashes like the one you mention can be fixed by running DPKG from the recovery menu, start your PC in recovery mode and activate "Network" (Network Cable required) and then start "dpkg" and restart your PC with Ctrl + Alt +Del when finished, see the update guide too:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2247

Welcome to Zorin btw!.

Regards Wolfman

Hi Wolfman.
You mention that a network cable is required for activating Network prior to running DPKG in recovery mode. I have a wireless network and thought I used that when I ran DPKG when I had monitor display problems after a partial upgrade (discussed and solved earlier). Perhaps that was part of my problem. From your post I gather that recovery mode doesn't connect wirelessly to the network. Do I have that right? I can connect to the router via cable, I just neglected to do so.

all the best
jojo

Hi Jojo,

I always recommend to use a network cable when running DPKG, you can use a wireless connection but it is a slightly complicated process, if you look here, you will see what I mean:

http://askubuntu.com/questions/104066/e ... y-terminal

see also:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=318539

My only real problem with that is, what if the wirelss signal goes down at the wrong moment or you are on an open network, even though I have wireless at home, I always use a cable!.

I hope that answers your question.

Regards Wolfman

Excellent advice as always Wolfman. Sadly Netgear seem to have lost the plot. I had to get a new dongle last year as the eldest wante Pear OS 7 alongside Windows 7 but this needed my WG111v3 to work so I went back to WG111T which meant I could not run Pear. I now have a WNDA3100v2 (N600) - even with Windows 8.1 and the up-to-date driver it keeps cutting out and as it needed special drivers (thanks to madvinegars help) it works at desktop level but clearly this will not be available when working at recovery level. Although I suspect what this really means is that I should now be updating the Router to one that is geared to 'button-locking' dongles!