Installing Ubuntu from USB over corrupted W7 Install?

Question

Okay, in my zeal to install Ubuntu as primary OS on a new netbook I seem to have fouled things up pretty badly.

On first booting (prior to W7 installation) the netbook, I brainfarted and didn't hit F2 for BIOS (to change boot order). I compounded this mistake pretty severely when I killed the netbook in the midst of Windows setup.

I seem to be stuck in some kind of in between hell now. Trying to go back to Windows installation fails but when I run Ubuntu Live Session from USB, the Install Ubuntu 11.10 shortcut on the desktop is not working.

That's my set up; here are my questions:

1) Is there a way to reformat from the USB to fix this? I don't have anything to lose file-wise and I don't care if I have to blow the Windows installation files away.

2) If I can't reformat from the Linux USB, how can I fix this without resorting to getting my hands on a Windows image to boot from? It seems like an especially cruel punishment that I should have to do that just to get rid of Windows and install Linux.

Answer 1

I was able to clear this up, though unfortunately I have no idea what specifically fixed the issue.

At least part of it was that I wasn't getting the Try Ubuntu/Install Ubuntu prompt upon loading from the USB. It came up this last time and part way through the menu there is an 'Installation Type' screen which gives the option to Install Ubuntu inside Windows 7, Replace Windows 7 with Ubuntu or do "Something else" such as creating/resizing partitions.

Things I did differently the last time (1 or more which most have helped):

1) I formatted the USB and re-added the Ubuntu 11.10 32-bit iso image.

2) On the target laptop I selected "Load Setup Defaults" in BIOS before once again setting it to boot from USB before HDD.

Anyway, I hope this can help somebody in the future. I had no luck finding advice given this particular problem and was on the verge of taking out the laptop's HDD, mounting it on another computer and using a 2nd computer to format and clean up the garbage Windows install. Clearly not a preferable alternative...