Need help with installing linux/issus

[New-to-linux]

Hello, I flashed linux mint 19.3 cinnamon 32bit on a USB. I tried to install(alongside Windows 7)it but it failed coping files and said the installer crashed, I tried again but it was stuck so I quit but it said Linux installed. I restarted then gnu grub 2.02 command launched but I couldn't boot linux so I booted the USB again and tried installing but the same error happened(I think my hard drive might have errors) but I can see files are on the partition so I tried repair boot but that also said it failed, long story short I think I can only boot the USB now as when the USB isn't in my laptop goes to memtest86+ 5.08, I let it run for roughly 40mins and 2 passed, do I have to let it run fully? What can I do to make Windows 7 boot as I saw I could try install Linux through unetbootin or try remove gnu grub and use windows dual boot as I don't think anything installed properly as I can't check. Is there any options without replacing my hard drive? Thank you for your help.

 

[Deleted member 108694]

If the installer is crashing check in your BIOS and make sure it is set to AHCI
also might want to remove dmraid in the terminal before clicking the Install

sudo apt-get remove dmraid

then try to install

 

[New-to-linux]

If the installer is crashing check in your BIOS and make sure it is set to AHCI
also might want to remove dmraid in the terminal before clicking the Install

sudo apt-get remove dmraid

then try to install

OK I'll try it tomorrow and let you know how it goes, thanks

 

[KGIII]

32bit

Before going further, does your computer really only have a 32 bit capable CPU? Lots of 32 bit Windows 7 machines were perfectly capable of 64 bit but shipped with 32 bit like home or starter type editions to save the OEM a couple of bucks. IIRC, it was Windows 8 when MSFT stopped charging a premium for 64 bit over 32 bit.

 

[Deleted member 101831]

Hello @New-to-linux and welcome to Linux.org forum.

How about posting some system information.
What brand of computer.
Model of computer.
Desktop or Laptop.
Type of processor.
How much installed memory.

More information you post about the computer you are trying to install Linux on the better help can be given.

Where did you download the Linux distro iso.
What did you use to create a bootable USB media.

Documentation.

Linux Mint Installation Guide — Linux Mint Installation Guide documentation

linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io

Create the bootable media — Linux Mint Installation Guide documentation

linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io

Boot Linux Mint — Linux Mint Installation Guide documentation

linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io

Install Linux Mint — Linux Mint Installation Guide documentation

linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io

 

[Fanboi]

Before going further, does your computer really only have a 32 bit capable CPU? Lots of 32 bit Windows 7 machines were perfectly capable of 64 bit but shipped with 32 bit like home or starter type editions to save the OEM a couple of bucks. IIRC, it was Windows 8 when MSFT stopped charging a premium for 64 bit over 32 bit.

And now they charge you for the right to install apps on your own PC. I kid you not. You have to upgrade from "S" (Starter?) to "Pro" otherwise you're stuck with their play store app store.Link (office). And I could literally install Manjaro with defaults and have Steam running in under an hour for free. Lol, MS crack me up.

 

[Fanboi]

@OP:
* GRUB should've detected Windows. If GRUB installed fine, just boot sans the flashdrive, select Windows, then in Windows there's a "Restore" of some sort.
* Failing that, if your machine is a prebuild or laptop, there's usually a "restore" option in the UEFI but this will erase your data, so first boot live from your flashdrive and copy anything you're keeping to an external HDD, other flashdrive, or cloud or home file server or whatever.
* Failing that, I suggest trying another distro. It doesn't sound like an HDD problem.
* On the above note, Memtest is for testing system memory (RAM), not storage (HDD). You only need one pass unless you OC your memory => 3600-16, in which case the other passes are more for checking thermals on your memory and controller. Not that OC'ing SR memory over 3200-16 (or whatever your CPU constraints are) matters, at least on Ryzen up to 3000s (haven't checked the 5k series specs in full) unless you OC your CPU, too. Better to have decent, stable memory. Besides, there are infinite bottlenecks on any system coz with each you fix, another starts holding it back. Off topic, but still, typing on my phone feels like deleting my hard-typed ramblings will be a waste, lol.

FYI: Win7 support ended ages ago. Update or switch to Linux. If you must do Win7, run Tiny Core and setup qemu with full hardware passthrough -- make sure KVM is enabled by BIOS -- and run Win7 in that so you can "snapshot" yout VHD regularly and rollback if you get any malware. Store your data separately, too. "RedundancY is v3ry imporrrtant. Redundancy is very important." -- Me

 

[New-to-linux]

If the installer is crashing check in your BIOS and make sure it is set to AHCI
also might want to remove dmraid in the terminal before clicking the Install

sudo apt-get remove dmraid

then try to install

I tried removing dmraid but still got errno 5 input/output error, error copying files to the hard disk. When I boot I'm back to grub rescue mode now. I ran integrity check from the USB and it says errors found in 1 files, does that mean flash or install error?

 

[New-to-linux]

Hello @New-to-linux and welcome to Linux.org forum.

How about posting some system information.
What brand of computer.
Model of computer.
Desktop or Laptop.
Type of processor.
How much installed memory.

More information you post about the computer you are trying to install Linux on the better help can be given.

Where did you download the Linux distro iso.
What did you use to create a bootable USB media.

Documentation.

Linux Mint Installation Guide — Linux Mint Installation Guide documentation

linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io

Create the bootable media — Linux Mint Installation Guide documentation

linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io

Boot Linux Mint — Linux Mint Installation Guide documentation

linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io

Install Linux Mint — Linux Mint Installation Guide documentation

linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io

My laptop is compaq presario c700 with Intel core 2 Duo. I got the ios off off Linux mint website

 

[New-to-linux]

Before going further, does your computer really only have a 32 bit capable CPU? Lots of 32 bit Windows 7 machines were perfectly capable of 64 bit but shipped with 32 bit like home or starter type editions to save the OEM a couple of bucks. IIRC, it was Windows 8 when MSFT stopped charging a premium for 64 bit over 32 bit.

In hardware detection on the USB under memory band 0 and 1 say total width 64 bits but my laptop is 86x 32bit, also under processor it has x86_64: yes

 

[Deleted member 108694]

I tried removing dmraid but still got errno 5 input/output error, error copying files to the hard disk. When I boot I'm back to grub rescue mode now. I ran integrity check from the USB and it says errors found in 1 files, does that mean flash or install error?

Sound more like a flash error I would try a reflash your USB stick with Etcher - https://www.balena.io/etcher/

 

[New-to-linux]

Sound more like a flash error I would try a reflash your USB stick with Etcher - https://www.balena.io/etcher/

I originally tried flashing with that but it failed twice so I used rufus

 

[Fanboi]

Yep, Lord Boltar's right. Probably needs a rewrite is all.
Re 64 bit, if your CPU is identified as x86_64 (AMD64), then that means your machine is 64bit. It can run a 32bit OS, but that doesn't mean it's 32bit.

 

[New-to-linux]

Yep, Lord Boltar's right. Probably needs a rewrite is all.
Re 64 bit, if your CPU is identified as x86_64 (AMD64), then that means your machine is 64bit. It can run a 32bit OS, but that doesn't mean it's 32bit.

So should I get there 64bit version, will any issue occur? Other times if I download a 64bit application on Windows 7 it says it needs to be 32bit, also will I use the same software to flash or should I try a different one as if the problem was it didn't flash properly?

 

[Deleted member 108694]

So should I get there 64bit version, will any issue occur? Other times if I download a 64bit application on Windows 7 it says it needs to be 32bit, also will I use the same software to flash or should I try a different one as if the problem was it didn't flash properly?

Your Windows 7 is 32Bit so you can only install 32bit applications into Windows 7 - but your processor is x86_64 that means your processor can handle 64 bit, so that means you can install a 64 Bit Linux OS on it - the Linux OS will create a different partition, which should not affect your 32 bit Windows at all - so after a successful install you - it should be able to choose at startup Windows or Linux and continue the boot from there - providing you have enough RAM at least 2GBs worth - if you only have 2GBs of RAM can you add more ram to your machine? - if not I would consider staying with a 32Bit Linux but would suggest something Debian based such as Emmabuntus, or MX Linux or Debian Non-Free or Linux Mint DE 4 all of which have 32bit ISOs

 

[KGIII]

You should be able to use 64 bit Linux. The reason you couldn't use 64 bit Windows apps was because you were using a 32 bit Windows OS. If you install a 64 bit OS you can use 64 bit software (virtually all software in the Linux world) and 32 bit software, all while having 64 addressable bits of memory - meaning you can use more RAM. You use the same software to flash the USB, and I recommend Balena Etcher.

balenaEtcher: A Tool To Turn Linux .ISO Files Into Bootable USB Drives • Linux Tips

balenaEtcher is a free software tool to write .ISO files to USBs so that you can boot from them and install Linux. balenaEtcher is just one of many tools to do this.

linux-tips.us

 

[New-to-linux]

Your Windows 7 is 32Bit so you can only install 32bit applications into Windows 7 - but your processor is x86_64 that means your processor can handle 64 bit, so that means you can install a 64 Bit Linux OS on it - the Linux OS will create a different partition, which should not affect your 32 bit Windows at all - so after a successful install you - it should be able to choose at startup Windows or Linux and continue the boot from there - providing you have enough RAM at least 2GBs worth - if you only have 2GBs of RAM can you add more ram to your machine? - if not I would consider staying with a 32Bit Linux but would suggest something Debian based such as Emmabuntus, or MX Linux or Debian Non-Free or Linux Mint DE 4 all of which have 32bit ISOs

I reflashed with Linux mint DE4 32bit and it installed alright, I'm going to try completely remove grub and use windows startup select, Thanks for the help as so far it's good

 

[Brickwizard]

@New-to-linux
first available in 2008, this is a budget HP product, the good news is it has a 64 bit capable CPU, the bad news possible is that it may only have a 32 bit motherboard [unfortunately its not one I can not lay my hands on the full tec specks quickly

edit ......I will need the FULL model number to check
the early models only had 512mb ram [not enough to run a bells and whistle install]
and if its pre 2012 it may not be usb bootable, so you may need a DVD install image

Bwiz

 

[New-to-linux]

So currently I have linux mint DE4 installed but how can I remove gnu grub(as it sounds very broken and if I update it it breaks) and use Windows 7 bootloader?