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This is my first time really getting to know Linux. I'm booting Ubuntu 12.10 on my HP G65 Notebook, which is pre installed with Windows 7 64 bit, from a live USB. The HP loads just fine and proceeds to try to boot Ubuntu but it freezes up on a black screen with syslinux 4.06 edd 2012-10-23 copyright (c) 1994-2012 H. petter Anvin et al and a blinking bar under it at the top.

I'm tired of windows and I want something far more stable. And try to keep the talk on a noob understandable level.

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  • Have you checked the MD5SUM of the ISO file? Also how did you create the USB?
    – Mitch
    Apr 21, 2013 at 11:23
  • I haven't checked it and I use the Universal USB installer. I think I forgot to mention the system is perinstalled with Windows 7 home premium 64 bit edition and I'm trying for a duel-boot setup ^^" Apr 21, 2013 at 15:50
  • I also tried the USB on my desktop hp and it wouldn't even boot, it would always go to the default hard drive boot which is the same OS. Apr 21, 2013 at 16:39
  • Try creating the USB using UNetbootin.
    – Mitch
    Apr 21, 2013 at 17:36
  • Sadly, same issue Apr 21, 2013 at 18:22

1 Answer 1

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Hi there and welcome to the linux world,

When you power-up your notebook using the livecd/liveusb, you will be presented with a list of options, like "Try ubuntu without installing", etc.

First select "Check disk for defects" to ensure that the cd/usb stick is not corrupt. If your media is ok but you still can't complete booting-up, then on the same selection screen press "F6". This will present you with some options to pass to the kernel while booting.

If your problem is graphics-card related then choosing "nomodeset" will probably enable you to complete booting-up. Also try the "acpi=off" and "noapic" parameters.

Hope this solves your problem.

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  • I think I forgot to mention that the notebook has Windows 7 64 bit preinstalled so I don't get that menu as far as I've seen. I go to the boot menu or setup upon startup and make sure that USB is listed first and select it, then it goes to that screen Apr 21, 2013 at 16:06
  • I should correct myself. It isn't startup, it's the BIOS menu among other options HP provides Apr 21, 2013 at 16:18
  • If you feel adventurous enough, I have a somewhat crude method to force your laptop boot from usb. Shut-down and power-off your laptop. then remove your hdd from the system and power up with usb stick connected. I had a Acer laptop once that refused to boot from usb and only managed to do it like this. Alternatively you can use a partitioning tool and set the active flag of the windows partition to off, but this is somewhat dangerous because if you fail to boot there is no other way to change the active flag short of connecting the hdd to another computer.
    – hmayag
    Apr 22, 2013 at 9:35
  • nomodeset worked for me, with low resolution though, but booted and could start install process in Ubuntu.
    – juanmf
    Dec 24, 2016 at 22:39

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