1

I have recently attempted to install ubuntu on my laptop, replacing windows 7.

The HDD was working fine with windows 7.

On my first attempt to install ubuntu it kept giving me an error that was saying it could not create the partitions needed for the installation.

I then tried to manually delete all the partitions that were on the HDD and then attempt the installation. Then it started saying that it could not create the ext4 file system.

So, then i tried deleting partitions again and found out that i had a bad superblock. So, then i tried the suggestions in this link. This did not solve the superblock problem.

So, then i used mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda to try and just format the whole drive. Everything seemed fine, and then the installation failed. It said it was unable to create the partitions again.

I am on the live cd and gparted does not detect any HDD any more.

I need to get ubuntu installed on this HDD. Can someone please assist me in getting this HDD to work again.

Let me know if you need any further details. Thanks!

Output from sudo fdisk -l:

fdisk: unable to read /dev/sdc: Input/output error

Improve this question
7
  • You said gparted does not detect you HD no more, have tried checking your bios to see if it's detected at boot time? if its not detected at boot time, make sure you HDD is attached properly also. ...
    – WeloSefer
    Jan 1, 2013 at 7:48
  • As WeloSefer said.. If you do get past this part, if i recall, when you come to partition the drive during the install process there's a tick box to force a proper format of the partition. However if your machine cant detect the drive, it may be damaged.
    – FreudianSlip
    Jan 1, 2013 at 7:51
  • Bios sees the HDD. I do not believe the drive is physically damaged. I just think that i have formatted the drive incorrectly. How can i format the drive so that it will be ready accept an ubuntu installation with an ext4 file system?
    – prolink007
    Jan 1, 2013 at 17:25
  • @prolink007 try disabling SATA native support from bios and try booting from gparted. If that doesn't work then can you include the output of fdisk -l with your question ?
    – WeloSefer
    Jan 1, 2013 at 20:09
  • @WeloSefer: How do i disable SATA native support? All i see is SATA Mode: AHCI Mode and the second option for this field is IDE Mode. Everything else in the bios is security and boot.
    – prolink007
    Jan 1, 2013 at 20:28

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

@prolink007 I did some reading regarding your problem and I found out that left over GPT data on the hard drive confuses GParted. SO, in order to fix the issue you have to use GPT fdisk aka gdisk try the following steps which might help. 

 1. Boot into Gparted and go to counsel    

 2. Type "gdisk /dev/sda" (change "/dev/sda" to whatever is appropriate to access your hard disk,
     if necessary). you can use gdisk -l to print out the info needed

 3. The program is likely to complain that it's found both MBR and GPT data, and will ask which 
    to use. It doesn't matter which you tell it to use.

 4. At the "Command" prompt, type "x" to enter the experts' menu.

 5. At the "Expert command" prompt, type "z" to "zap" (destroy) the GPT data.

 6. Type "y" in response to the confirmation about destroying the GPT.

 7. Type "n" in response to the query about blanking the MBR.

Hope this fix the issue. Let me now

Improve this answer
8
  • I got the live cd of gparted from here sourceforge.net/projects/gparted/files/old-gparted-livecd/…. I booted into the default selection and it is now saying a long error. The important stuff seems to be: Write protect is off and Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA. And it just says a lot of that on the screen. It did not bring me to a desktop or command prompt.
    – prolink007
    Jan 1, 2013 at 22:54
  • That's odd. Try resting your bios to default setting and try again. If that doesn't work, you HD is done. It might have some physical damage ie if you have dropped your laptop recently. =\
    – WeloSefer
    Jan 2, 2013 at 0:00
  • Never dropped it. It just started acting like this after i attempted to install ubuntu. I might try to put windows back on to see what happens. I will try your bios suggestion and the windows thing and let you know what happens. Thanks
    – prolink007
    Jan 2, 2013 at 0:33
  • The windows installation does not see my hdd either.
    – prolink007
    Jan 2, 2013 at 0:41
  • Now my bios is not seeing the hdd! Is there a way that i need to mount the drive or something?
    – prolink007
    Jan 2, 2013 at 0:43

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .