Installing from USB Pendrive problem

Hi,

I'm trying to install Zorin onto an Acer netbook, using a USB pendrive as it doesn't have an optical disc, and I do not have access to a USB DVD Drive.

I booted with the pendrive plugged in and the BIOS set to boot from USB. It displays a SYSLINUX copyright notice on a black background with a flashing cursor on the next line, and that's it. I realise this method could be slow, but I left it for over an hour and nothing happened. Have tested it on another Windows 7 machine and the Zorin install menu appeared within a couple of seconds.

The netbook has 1.6 Atom CPU, 1GB RAM, 160GB HD. It currently multi-boots between Windows 7 Starter, Android and Ubuntu 11.10 (installed using the Windows installer). I don't use Android (it came pre-installed on the netbook as a dual-boot with WIN7 Starter) so would be happy to remove this if it would help. As it stands, the hard drive has 4 partitions: Recovery (12GB), D: (FAT32 Android - 4GB), System Reserved (NTFS 102MB) and C: (NTFS Acer 133GB)

Any help appreciated.

Is there any chance you are trying to install the 64bit version of Zorin in the Acer netbook?

The width of the acer netbook cpu is certainly up to 32bit, and this is why an 64bit OS will not load/be installed.

madvinegar wrote:Is there any chance you are trying to install the 64bit version of Zorin in the Acer netbook?

The width of the acer netbook cpu is certainly up to 32bit, and this is why an 64bit OS will not load/be installed.

No, it's definitely the 32bit version - zorin-os-5.2-core-32

swarfendor437 wrote:Hi Figment, I suspect you cannot install because I suspect you have something else on there as well - aka recovery partition; and if it is anything like my HP Mini netbook that has Win7 starter on it and quickboot plus recovery and other partiton - all 'Primary' would explain why you can't get anywhere. Just check that Android is not likely to be needed as part of system recovery/reinstallation - I presume you have made all necessary recovery DVD's of the system? If not try and make friends with someone who has got an external DVD to make recovery disks - that was the first thing I did with the HP Mini netbook - if things go wrong and you have no back up it is going to be difficult to recover a working netbook. Hope this helps. Alternatively you could try making a persistent version of Zorin (premium does not work by the way but Core usually does) using MultiSystem from http://www.pendrivelinux.com. Hope this helps.

Thanks. I guessed it may be something to do with partitioning. I read somewhere on the forum along these lines. Re Android - I've used the recovery partition in the past to reset the netbook to factory settings, and it installs Win7 first, and once in the GUI it then downloads, installs and sets up the Android OS.

As for recovery DVDs, there doesn't appear to be a utility provided to create these - I've looked in the usual places.

Is there a Windows installable version of Zorin?

Hi again

I used WUBI last night to install Ubuntu 11.10 on the Netbook, and it worked like a charm, but I can't see how to use it for installing Zorin

Figment wrote:Hi again

I used WUBI last night to install Ubuntu 11.10 on the Netbook, and it worked like a charm, but I can't see how to use it for installing Zorin

Just a friendly advise. Wubi can be a nigthmare. After an update in ubuntu your grub menu might go haywire.

Figment wrote:Hi again

I used WUBI last night to install Ubuntu 11.10 on the Netbook, and it worked like a charm, but I can't see how to use it for installing Zorin

Hi,

WUBI will not offer you anything other than an Ubuntu installation, the reason is that Zorin is based on Ubuntu and WUBI cannot tell the difference between Ubuntu and Zorin, where it asks you which OS you want to install, just select Ubuntu!!.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/WubiGuide

Regards Wolfman

I'm confused. Maybe I'm not explaining myself very well.

I installed Ubuntu 11.10 using WUBI, but am not keen on the Unity front end, prefering the look of Zorin. As you know I have been unable to install Zorin using the USB pendrive method, so hoped this distribution could somehow be installed using WUBI.

I started reading an article on how to compile WUBI with custom iso's, but the instructions may as well have been written in Chinese for all the sense they made

I'll stick with Ubuntu 11.10 until I can beg, steal, borrow or buy a USB DVD drive.

Thanks for the help.

My wife has an acer netbook D250 with the same hardware characteristics as yours. It originally came with WinXP. I then installed Win7 over the winXP. Now I have the Win7 in dual boot with Zorin.
All of the above using a pendrive and unebootin software.

Since you want to keep windows as well, maybe this is the way for you to go. Try finding a win7 DVD and install it over the win7starter/android you have now.
When installing Win7 there is an option to keep all your files in a file called "windows.old", so there is not even need to do a backup. (at least this is how I did it in 3-4 PCs).
After you install win7 (not starter) and your hard drive is hosting just win7, you can use the pen drive again and install Zorin as dual boot.

All I want to say is that I never needed a USB dvd-drive to do all above. And also, as I said, it is better to avoid wubi and perform a standard installation of Zorin, i.e. in dual boot.

madvinegar wrote:My wife has an acer netbook D250 with the same hardware characteristics as yours. It originally came with WinXP. I then installed Win7 over the winXP. Now I have the Win7 in dual boot with Zorin.
All of the above using a pendrive and unebootin software.

Since you want to keep windows as well, maybe this is the way for you to go. Try finding a win7 DVD and install it over the win7starter/android you have now.
When installing Win7 there is an option to keep all your files in a file called "windows.old", so there is not even need to do a backup. (at least this is how I did it in 3-4 PCs).
After you install win7 (not starter) and your hard drive is hosting just win7, you can use the pen drive again and install Zorin as dual boot.

All I want to say is that I never needed a USB dvd-drive to do all above. And also, as I said, it is better to avoid wubi and perform a standard installation of Zorin, i.e. in dual boot.

I have a WIN7 DVD, but without a DVD drive to attach to the netbook, I am unable to do as you suggest

Figment wrote:I'm confused. Maybe I'm not explaining myself very well.

I installed Ubuntu 11.10 using WUBI, but am not keen on the Unity front end, prefering the look of Zorin. As you know I have been unable to install Zorin using the USB pendrive method, so hoped this distribution could somehow be installed using WUBI.

I started reading an article on how to compile WUBI with custom iso's, but the instructions may as well have been written in Chinese for all the sense they made

I'll stick with Ubuntu 11.10 until I can beg, steal, borrow or buy a USB DVD drive.

Thanks for the help.

Install Zorin using WUBI as if it WERE Zorin!!. To repeat myself, Zorin is based on Ubuntu and Wubi is an Ubuntu installer!!.

Regards Wolfman

Figment wrote:
I have a WIN7 DVD, but without a DVD drive to attach to the netbook, I am unable to do as you suggest

My netbook acer did not have a DVD drive as well. As I said, everything was done using a usb stick of 4GB and unebooting software.
This means that even Win7 were installed in the netbook after been booted up in the USB stick.