Botched install OS9 Ultimate 32 bit

I was updating from OS8 to OS9. Burned and checked DVD. Selected install and reached "installation complete, restart computer." It would not boot, So I tried to reinstall from the DVD. I selected erase previous version and install. (Had backed up my files before starting the update, so was not worried about loss of data). The installation would begin and show copying files, but hang about a quarter of the way through. Fearing I had corrupted a partition with the failed install, I have a Seagate 1 TB HDD, I pulled it out and reformatted on another computer using Seagate discWizard. I am planning to try again, but I do not know what MBR GUID FAT, etc I should use in the custom install part of the installation process to try to get it right this time. Any thoughts on getting this to work? Thanks

I am wondering if you were having a failed hard drive with the first issue.

1. Go for the 'something else' method when you get to point of install.

2. Delete all the partitions that you have and start from scratch when the partition editor launches - we need to know what you intend to use your 1 Tb drive for - just Zorin, or Zorin and Data?

3. Being such a large drive I would be tempted to create a 50 Gb partition for your 'system' folder - create a 'Primary' partition by clicking on the '+' sign at the bottom left of partition editor, format to 'ext4' then mark as '/' or it won't boot.

4. Create an 'extended' partition and at the END create a 4 Gb partition and make it 'swap area' - no need to specify file type as swap area does this automatically.

5. Everything in front of your swap, create another partition, format again to 'ext4' file system and mark as '/home'

Now the crucial element will be where to place the boot loader - this should be installed at the root level of the disc e.g. 'sda Seagate 1TB' drive - NOT sda Seagate 1Tb /'

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4771

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4848

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2601

Thank you for the suggestions. I considered it could be a drive problem, even though it is less than a year old. It appears to be OK in the Seagate program, but it is not recognized by a drive letter on my other machines. Zorin 8 had done well since Feb last year but suddenly dropped off the network. Perhaps it was the HD in the first place...which was what prompted me to up to 9. I am burning the iso to a usb drive to try that as well. Stand by...Thanks

I followed the suggestions including slow burning a new DVD with the iso file, which checked out as OK. I also burned it to a usb stick, but the bios does not have a usb boot priority option. The bios HDD check says it is OK.When I ran the HDD through the Seagate program, it removed the partitions as desired and I set it up as MBR vs GUID. Windows does not see the drive in the external drive bay with a drive letter. The Zorin partition helper saw it as unallocated 1000000 mb. I think I got the partitioning right. There should be plenty of room in the boot partition 19999mb. I still get a hang copying files during install. BTW I could also see the usb stick that I forgot to remove. Any other ideas?

After the last try, I had my partition table looking like: Line 1: /dev/sda1/ ext4 746 mb (of 19999) Zorin os 9 (9) under operating system. line 2: /dev/sda6/ ext4 15528mb. The boot loader: /dev/sda/ ATA ST 1000DM003-1CH1(1TB). It seems to be loading in the wrong place?? The HDD may still be the problem. I have a two drive external cradle plugged into a win8 machine. Do you think I could find a way to copy the needed files from the iso to the HDD outside the machine on which it will run...or if windows cannot see the Zorin partitions (which are ext4 vs FAT32), is the HDD shot and I should try a new one?...which I would have to buy. I have not written any code since basic in 1969. That is why I want to make this work...to prove to myself that I am not a dinosaur.

I would use Easy BCD 2.2 on your Windows partition, and put the bootloader on the partition you want to use:

http://vimeo.com/110085401

Hi,

if it runs on the external HDD, try removing the internal HDD and booting from the external only and see if it works, you can also swap the internal SATA or IDE cable and put it in another slot and see if that helps, it is set to Master isn't it?.

I got timed out and lost my previous reply. This is a Zorin only machine that I set up with os8 after Windows and the previous HDD failed. It was running fine until recently, when I was getting crashes and error messages, so I tried to upgrade to OS9 using the erase and load option on the install disc that I burned while I had os8 still running. My reference to the external is that I removed the HDD from the Zorin machine and put it in the docking station on my windows machine so I could erase the partitions and start over. Then I replaced it in the Zorin machine and started the install over, but it did not finish. My windows machine AV did not like the DVD burner suggested. The first disc matches the size of the iso file exactly. The second disc is different. so probably a bad burn. The first time I ran the install disc it got all the way to restart, but it would not boot. Since starting from scratch, it hangs before files are finished copying. Puzzling. Thanks

A bit of a breakthrough. I was able to run Try Zorin. I can see the partitions and contents from the last install try. If it will read the usb, can I just copy the iso into the system partition and get it to boot from the HDD? I am scared to try the install program on the desktop with the past failed results. Is the bootloader in a different area outside the / partition? Can it be installed manually?

If you don't have any crucial data, follow the 'something else' method and when you get to choose where to put the bootloader it will be sda1 and not '/' - this should overwrite your mbr with GRUB. But wait for Wolfman to respond for further instructions.

Hi,

to simply fix your MBR (Bootloader location), you can use Boot repair disk tool of which you will need to create a bootable disk, download an ISO and follow the instructions here:

http://sourceforge.net/p/boot-repair/home/Home/

To do a complete re-install as Swarf suggested without losing your current settings or data, you can do the Something Else Method and make sure you write the bootloader to disk dev/sda!:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4848

Pleased to report I have a working OS9. Thanks for the assistance. Not to get my Windows network to see it.

Glad you are sorted friend! Please check the forum by searching for networking - if you can't find anything that matches your requirements, please start a fresh thread in the 'Help and Support' section of the forum!

Actually not quite there yet. I am apparently running in something called Live mode, which does not recognize my password if I log out and try to log back in. I tried to install updates but get a message that I must free up space and remove old installations using sudo apt-get clean. when I reboot, there is a screen which is way up on the left where I cannot read the boot options.

When booting in live mode you cannot use your system password - if you logout of live session you are still running from the DVD - the user name for live session is 'live' and there is no password.

Have removed [SOLVED] from your original post.

I do not understand. It seemed to have an operating system running from the hard drive, but it seems to be a copy of the iso dvd not a permanent installation. I went back to the generic install with the erase and overwrite option, but it did not work. So now I have gone back to something else and it looks like it is correct. Install running off Try Zorin

dev/sda1 EXT4 Mount point / 20998 MB 920MB usedsystem Zorin os9 (9)
dev/sda6 EXT4 Mount point home 974203MB 154996MB used
dev/sda5 swap 4999MB o used
Devise loader:
dev/sda1 ATA---1CH1 (1TB)

So install is copying files and almost done. On a previous try, I reached the installation complete screen but after restarting it still would not boot. But I had it running live without the dvd in place.

Always best to leave the DVD in whilst installing or you are asking for more problems!

I reached installation complete and went to continue testing. The 21gb device, location: media/live has a small gray area, a larger blue area and over half free area on the Properties pie chart. There are 310564 items totaling 8.2 GB. I assume the gray area is the boot sector. If I remove the DVD and try to restart...?? I should get a password screen. I cannot read the blue screen that appears right after the bios screen. I tried the last on a previous and got to a terminal type screen, but sid not know if there was a command to boot Zorin. Just saw reply to leave dvd in, but with it in, will it boot from HDD upon restart?

I restarted with DVD in and it booted to the usual install screen. Full circle. Will try again tomorrow. Since I am at installation complete and files seem to be in the right place, Is there not some way such as a terminal command to force it to boot to the HDD? Good night and thanks again for sticking with this. It seems I have to be close.

It will boot provided you installed GRUB to the MBR.

I may not be understanding how to change where it is programmed to install grub in mbr. The settings in the partition manager before install are set to:

dev/sda1 EXT4 Mount point "/" 20998 MB 920MB used system Zorin os9 (9)
dev/sda6 EXT4 Mount point /home 974203MB 15496MB used
dev/sda5 swap 4999 MB o used
Devise loader:
dev/sda1 ATA---1CH1 (1TB)

Should the top sda1 entry be" /boot" versus just "/"?

Should I change the bios boot order. Presently DVD is first in order, so when it boots it may not be getting to the HDD to find Grub. It just loads the Install iso.

Hi,

you need 3 partitions for Linux to run correctly, have you done any partitions or have you just been running the Live CD?:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2601

I have 3 partitions: System 21GB, Home 974GB and swap at end 5GB. When running in live mode, I can see a GRUB folder in the system folder. It has to be the boot order unless the install program forces a change in the bios. I changed it to boot HDD first and used shift key and up popped the good ole Zorin menu with the boot option which it did automatically I rebooted and ran dpkg (from a previous post I did not understand at the time). Looks like Up and running as administrator. I still got a cursor freeze before I ran dpkg. Now I will try loading updates. Lets call this solved. I will return to forums if I have other problems. I really appreciated all your help and the answers you provided were embedded in my lack of knowledge. Thanks for helping me learn as I went. Did not mean to waste your time.

Hi,

you aren't wasting anybodies time, that is what the forum is for, some learn fast and others slow, you will become a Master of Linux soon!.

Post back with any new problems any time you like!.