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Let me start from the beginning. My Windows 7 failed. So I thought it would be good time to install Ubuntu. I created a bootable USB drive to make thing easy because the boot sector on my computer is where the problem had originally occurred.

I tried getting 13.10 but it was freezing when I would get to the Installation screen. My next thought was to try an earlier version. So now I have a bootable USB drive with 12.04 on it.

Now, when I get to the Install screen, it does not detect the hard drive at all. I am running a Toshiba Satellite L505D. The error message I am receiving is :

No root file system is defined. Please correct this from the partitioning menu.

The problem is, there is nothing to select it from. I am unable to create a new partition, add, change, delete or revert because there is nothing to select in the above menu.

What should I do?

2 Answers 2

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  1. Are you using the 64 bit version?

  2. Are you making the USB stick bootable? Just putting the .iso on there does not work. You need to use something like universal pen drive to make it bootable.

  3. Also, you may need to hold down option, command, CTL, ect, at the time of boot to select your boot drive. It may also be an F12 key, I'm not sure with your exact computer but Google how to choose drive at boot.

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  • 1. Yes, I am using the 64 bit version.
    – Austin P.
    Dec 26, 2013 at 6:39
  • 2.I did make the USB drive bootable. I used the PenDrive program. 3. I chose the usb drive to boot from. However, I will try again.
    – Austin P.
    Dec 26, 2013 at 6:41
  • I assume your machine is 64 bit, but you should check if your machine is bootable in any OS. If your HD is blank, make the bootable USB or DVD and you can select "try ubuntu". It makes no changes to your computer but you could see what might be wrong with your HD by using Gparted. It is a partitioning tool. If you are very new to Ubuntu I would be happy to guide you through installing it.
    – SomaComa
    Dec 26, 2013 at 6:43
  • Good, so the drive is bootable. Now, when you boot your machine, try and stop it at the bios and choose to boot from USB instead of the internal HD.
    – SomaComa
    Dec 26, 2013 at 6:45
  • Ok. I manually selected the USB to boot from. And yes I am new to Ubuntu.
    – Austin P.
    Dec 26, 2013 at 6:47
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Sorry, it made me stop using the original thread because it was too long, but I cannot yet move to chat mode. So we can just use this thread now.

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  • Ok so the windows boot sector is bad. Have you already tried to install ubuntu? Is that what damaged it? or was it already damaged?
    – SomaComa
    Dec 26, 2013 at 6:52
  • Yeah it's showing the USB but you can change the drive by looking in the right hand corner and changing it to the HD. It will scan it but no changes will be made so long as you don't delete anything.
    – SomaComa
    Dec 26, 2013 at 6:55
  • Ok. Like I said before, he Gparted only detects the USB drive.
    – Austin P.
    Dec 26, 2013 at 6:58
  • Yeah I kinda have some bad news. ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2116403
    – SomaComa
    Dec 26, 2013 at 7:00
  • One day my computer just stopped working. There is a bad sector on the hard drive an it happens to be in the boot sector. I have already tried to install Ubuntu but the partitioning does not etect the hard drive for some reason.
    – Austin P.
    Dec 26, 2013 at 7:01

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