Comment 15 for bug 948716

I downloaded the file.

Let's review, so that I get you what you want. I am going to image the PC as it is. Wipe it and install Ubuntu using your file on a OEM Windows 7 system. This may take awhile, maybe several days.

First, I have to say that I was attempting to install 11.04 and installing the files to a back partition in my case H directly from the Ubuntu site not with a CD/DVD.

Now, this is the process I used initially and I will repeat it using your new file. I opened a network connection from a Windows 7 Home Premium OS, downloaded wubi from the Ubuntu site and ran it on my desktop and it appeared that wubi went onto the internet and downloaded the files from Ubuntu for the 11.04 version and installed them to the H drive. The Windows boot menu appeared, I selected Ubuntu and next a "grub2?" boot menu appeared and I selected Ubuntu and it failed.

I got an email from bcbc and followed his email to collect the information he needed and passed on to Ilya.

Since that time I did three things. I investigated the issue from the windows side. First I discovered that the Windows system was setup on a dynamic drive. Then second I discovered that I had to shift the drive to a static drive to install another OS and did that. I then discovered (as is common on most OEM computers like Dell) that they fill up the drive with primary partitions so that you can't install another type of operating system. It seems Windows systems only allow four primary partitions, so third I turned two of the partitions to extended partition, which gave me the ability to install another OS.

One point, mostly for Windows users, the windows operating system will only trigger the (you must change some of your partitions to extended partitions to add another primary partition [you need to do this to add another operating system]) warning ONCE, so if you miss this warning you can chase your tail all day and not be able to add Linux and not know why. In preparation for doing a more conservative install of an older version of Linux I did this.

I decided to backstep to 10.43 and changed the partitioning as described above and then installed the Ubuntu files using a downloaded Ubuntu image ISO on a DVD and used the wubi.exe in the image and directed the installer to put the files on the C or primary partition (sda0?) instead of a back partition and it worked like a charm. This tells us that there isn't anything in the hardware creating the problem and nothing intrinsic with Windows 7 and all its patches to cause the problem.

So to recap, I am going to install the OEM Windows 7 image. THIS TIME I am going to go through all the hard drive changes, FIRST, (this may have triggered the UUID detection process) with the target for the installed Linux files being loaded and installed to the back partition DIRECTLY from the web image of the latest version of Ubuntu (I am assuming here that the wubi installer and Ubuntu version are set to install the latest stable version of Ubuntu directly from the Ubuntu site). Letting the wubi installer go onto the Ubuntu site and download the Ubuntu files from the site and install them to the back drive as I tried to do initially. This way we can learn if it is with the whole download and install directly from the internet process (files pulled from the wrong place on the site? or corruption in transit). If this works using your NEW file then problem solved. If it fails I will run the same commands shown in the previous emails to gather information and then run the latest 64 bit version from an ISO that I will download and use your new wubi file to see if I can make it pick up the disk and install it (bypassing the wubi file in the image) (directions on how to do this may be needed) and see if this works after I wipe the machine and install the clean OEM windows 7 image.

Sorry to make your eyes bleed, but since this takes a lot of work I want to make sure we are all on the same page about the process.

If there are any caveats, directions, changes etc. email me.

Mike