Installed windows 10 and it caused non bootable machine and even my factory default drive is crashing on use… And alt f10 for this laptop says no partitions found…
If I am forced to Linux what distro is light on resources for a gateway ne56r with Intel b960, Intel HD graphics and 4gb of sdram… Ubuntu, Linux mint, etc?
Edit: I got Windows 8 to install… (phew!!) I’m stilling wanting to install linux though for a dual boot selecting operating system thing… any of you know which one is most easy to use like windows?
Rather than do a dual-boot (which can cause boot issues if the linux grub boot-loader becomes corrupted) suggest installing onto a usb flash drive of at least 16GB. To do that, create a live CD or DVD first. Then remove your os boot drive and any secondary internal drive. Boot using the live media, go to install from the desktop, and insert the usb drive. Point installation media to the usb drive and in about 20 minutes or so (be sure system is connected to the internet to update to latest security updates and features) you will be able to run either without one os affecting the other as it can with a dual-boot setup.
Suggest checking if your wi-fi hardware is natively supported by Ubuntu or Linux Mint before deciding which to install to your usb drive.
One caveat: Noted that system time will set back five hours unless wi-fi is set to automatically connect when running either Linux distro. If allowed to connect automatically, desktop time will be correct on logon.
Flip side of the coin is that Windows time will be five hours ahead of where your local time is unless you enter the BIOS to manually set the time back five hours to where it is supposed to be before you boot into Windows again. This only takes about 20 seconds to fix and reset, so not a bothersome issue, just one that needs to be done every time linux is run off the usb before running Windows again. No support yet for this issue so far.
If you know Windows, then Linux Mint is the distro to use. Ubuntu is a little different and will require a slightly longer learning curve to run. Important thing is native support for your wi-fi hardware. Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu and uses the same .deb files as Ubuntu does but is designed to look and feel more like Windows.
Using a live CD or DVD first will get you to run the linux os without changing anything on your Windows drive, so you will get a better idea of which you prefer. Once you decide, use the short guide above to install to your usb.
Well, can’t answer that as I have a machine circa 2008, but Wubi is a program designed to run within Windows, so Ubuntu would be treated as another program running within it. Only way to know if you tried disabling fast-boot. But before you do that, image your hdd first. http://wubi.sourceforge.net/faq.php
Some considerations: (All quotes taken from above link)
What are the system requirements?
256 MB RAM and an 1 GHz or faster Intel/AMD processor is recommended for optimal performance, though Xubuntu might work on less. As for disk space, the installation requires a minimum of 5GB free. This space is mostly used by the virtual hard disk file. Most computers purchased within the last 3 years should be able to run Ubuntu fine, and Xubuntu is suitable for older computers. Software raids (aka fakeraid) are not supported. Encrypted disks are not supported.
What platforms are supported?
Wubi will run on on all Windows versions from Windows 98 to Windows Vista except Windows ME. More platforms to come soon. Linux/*nix/*BSD are supported through Lubi (download location and guide), and Mac OSX will eventually be supported through Mubi (developers still needed).
What is the performance?
The performance is identical to a standard installation, except for hard-disk access which is slightly slower than an installation to a dedicated partition. If your hard disk is very fragmented the performance will degenerate.
Any gotcha?
Hibernation is not supported under Wubi, moreover Wubi filesystem is more vulnerable to hard-reboots (turning off the power) and power outages than a normal filesystem, so try to avoid unplugging the power. An Ubuntu installation to a dedicated partition provides a filesystem that is more robust and can better tolerate such events.
How does Wubi work?
Wubi adds an entry to the Windows boot menu which allows you to run Linux. Ubuntu is installed within a file in the Windows file system (c:\ubuntu\disks\root.disk), this file is seen by Linux as a real hard disk.
Essentially, if Wubi is used and Windows won’t boot, there is a chance you won’t be able to run either. Grub boot-loader is more stable, imo. And there are ways to repair grub boot-loader inside Ubuntu; you’ll need to research how beforehand. Wubi is also old and says nothing about supporting Win 7, Win 8 or Win 10.
Really suggest using an usb flash drive as this option does two things:
Removes the need for grub or Wubi
Keeps your main hdd clean and will prevent loss of both os’s should your main hdd fail
