Installing Ubuntu on an old PC

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0x0101

0x0101

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Oct 25, 2013
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Hello,

I'm trying to install Ubuntu 10.04 on a Compaq Deskpro. The problem is that when I enter the CD and it boots, the Ubuntu initial boot screen shows up (this one) and when I choose one of the options the PC reboots, then it asks me too choose again and again (this screen shows continuously and each time I choose one and press enter the PC reboots). I've set it up to boot from CD in the BIOS settings. However, this doesn't happen with the Ubuntu CD only - it happens with other CDs aswell, such as Knoppix - it reboots before the kernel loads and such. I guess this is not really Ubuntu/Linux related but I don't know where to post it. The PC itself has windows XP installed but it's unable to boot it because of missing ntfs.sys (I tried fixing it with the windows CD/recovery console, it just doesn't work (the CD is missing another files, just a mess..)). Any help is appreciated, thanks.
 
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stillblue
You should have gotten nowhere at all with ram removed. I'd start there. Check in the BIOS and see if it is doing the long version of startup to make sure it is checking the ram.
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stillblue

stillblue

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Nov 30, 2012
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First try f6 at the boot menu and find the options like these

acpi=off
noapic
nolapic

and choose them one at a time or all at once if still no go.

If that don't help run test memory from your Ubuntu CD and see what that gives you.
I'd also download a copy of puppy linux and see if that'll run, it's very small.
 
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0x0101

0x0101

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Oct 25, 2013
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10,510


Hello.

I have tried that already, however, it didn't work as expected. I've also tried puppylinux and it does the same - the pc restarts when it loads the kernel. Is it possible to be HDD failure? Memory test does not work as well: the PC reboots again and it takes me to the Ubuntu initial boot screen.
 
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0x0101

0x0101

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Oct 25, 2013
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10,510


Any suggestions on how to 'test' it exactly?

I've played a little bit with Knoppix today, and I've got it to a stage in which it says "Booting the kernel." and that hangs until I restart the PC (image), so it really seems like a hardware issue. I guess it's time to find which part is causing the problem.
 
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stillblue

stillblue

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By all means, pull the hard drive out and eliminate that. Live Linux does not need it to run. Pull other dives as well. Listen for the fan. Pull your memory sticks. As you say hardware failure somewhere, good luck isolating it.


 
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0x0101

0x0101

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Oct 25, 2013
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Well, I've already done that - pulled the HDD out and the problem was the same. I did the same with the RAM modules, same problem - it keeps restarting after anything tries to boot.
 
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0x0101

0x0101

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Oct 25, 2013
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Yes, that was the issue. The problem was that the first module was faulty. When I removed it everything was able to boot. Thank you so much!
 
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