SOLVED: install but no retention of data

[rn1]

ps i created the usb boot drives from the liveusb creator, but within windows using the iso file for 64 bit olivia.

i will try them from within mint as well......

also I checked....windows is definitely booting from the MBR.....

will do the data mining you suggested for the mint side.....

[rn1]

apparently I am not the only one:

http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/858

I have a down dvd but wednesday I will have one working. I will put the iso file on a dvd and try an install from there.

i hope I did not make a mistake using mint.......

[gold_finger]

If you have not done so, create rescue DVD's for your Windows OS -- can't remember how (been a while since I've used Windows) but Google is your friend for that. Back-up anything you can't afford to lose just in case something goes wrong.

Then, delete the linux partition on hard drive. That will leave empty, unformatted space. Leave it like that and boot up with live DVD/USB. Click install icon and when you get to where it asks where to install, pick "Along side Windows". It will automatically install, format and partition (for Linux) the empty space and put grub where it belongs -- on sda NOT sda5. If system is using MBR (hope you read this link: [url]http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/bootmode.html[/url]), then I see no reason for it not to work.

[gold_finger]

You posted something while I was working on last post.

apparently I am not the only one:

http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/858

I have a down dvd but wednesday I will have one working. I will put the iso file on a dvd and try an install from there.

i hope I did not make a mistake using mint.......

That conflicts with:

also I checked....windows is definitely booting from the MBR.....

...And is precisely why I directed you to [url]http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/bootmode.html[/url]

[rn1]

>>If you have not done so, create rescue DVD's for your Windows OS -- can't remember how (been a while since I've used Windows) but Google is your friend for that. Back-up anything you can't afford to lose just in case something goes wrong.<<

did one recently. thank you. I am a redundancy fool.....do a data backup every day.....

>>Then, delete the linux partition on hard drive. <<

will do...from within windows?

>>That will leave empty, unformatted space. Leave it like that and boot up with live DVD/USB. <<

will do.

>>Click install icon and when you get to where it asks where to install, pick "Along side Windows". <<

that is the choice I have made in the past...

>>It will automatically install, format and partition (for Linux) the empty space and put grub where it belongs -- on sda NOT sda5.<<

even though there is only one partition available?

>> If system is using MBR (hope you read this link: http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/bootmode.html), then I see no reason for it not to work.<<

i have read it...it is using MBR, definitely...and none of that security boot is enable in the bios.

thanks again.

[gold_finger]

even though there is only one partition available?

That's fine. It will create an extended partition that contains the Linux system partition and a swap partition.

>>Click install icon and when you get to where it asks where to install, pick "Along side Windows". <<

that is the choice I have made in the past...

I don't understand how it could have put grub in sda5 if that's what you selected before. If that happens again, I'm afraid I can't help -- no clue how that could happen.

[rn1]

well, here goes.....

[rn1]

it should tell you something that I now know what a GRUB menu from mint, looks like<g>

it worked!

two final questions, if I may:

1. I used unetbootin to create the USB drive. it asked for, for ubuntu and its derivatives, some selectable space for files across rebooting...whatever that means. it gave no guide as to how much, so I arbitrarily selected 300 megs....understanding as I think I do that mint is a kind of ubuntu derivative.

was that appropriate?

2. i see that a windows 7 boot loader is in two partitions, although I have only one installation of windows. this is a dell machine that comes with its own recover partition. could that account for two (I selected the first of the two to boot into windows and had no problem)?

I also created a text file in mint, saved it to desktop, rebooted into mint and there it was,

finally, as an fyi, when I restarted mint after install (its own menu to either keep testing or restart) it went to a mint logo and just sat there.

i finally had to turn the computer off, upon restart, i got the grub menu...and the rest went as per above.

does all sound OK to you?

many, many thanks.

[rn1]

here's one answer:

http://askubuntu.com/questions/341114/why-does-grub-report-two-items-for-windows-7

[gold_finger]

You are booting into computer now without the USB -- correct?

If so, congratulations -- you've finally made it! Edit the title of this post with <Solved> at the beginning so others can more easily pick out threads that might have solutions they need.

Windows grub menu entry? -- you already found answer.

Why the hang-up on Mint logo? Don't know, but have seen posts about that here before. I don't run Mint 15 myself, so no good answer.

Welcome to Linux and have fun.

P.s. With regard to persistence on USB: see my second post on page 1. The amount of space you can allocate for that depends on the size of the USB. Basically, the USB has to be big enough to fit the size of the iso file being burned at minimum; then a persistence file can be created up to 4GB in size max. So if your iso is 1GB a USB of 5GB or larger would enable the use of a full 4GB for persistence.

[rn1]

thanks again for all, man.....

and tell the board I said to give you a $19k raise<g>