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Question

OS not working

Aug 14, 2016 12:34PM PDT

Hello everyone! Currently I have received a 2007 PC from my uncle. As of right now, I cannot replace items at all due to lack of funds, but in about 2-3 months I will be able to. Now for the real question here:

I have been trying to upload an OS onto my PC. I've tried Ubuntu 16 and 14, Kubuntu 14 and the new Steam OS. I'm not wanting to buy Windows 7 when I will be buying new parts and windows 10 within 2 months (Just seems like a waste in my opinion). Currently I'm running:
Intel Pentium D 935 Presler Dual-Core 3.2GHz Processor
ASUS P5VD2-X LGA 775 VIA PT890 ATX Intel Motherboard
BFG Tech 7 GeForce 7600GT DirectX 9
PCI Express x16 SLI Support Video Card
TOSHIBA MQ01ABD075 750GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache 2.5 9.5mm SATA 3.0Gb/s

Picture of screen: http://imgur.com/NmcPWii

Any help would be fantastic! I really just want my PC to finally work.

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
What is this "upload an OS"?
Aug 14, 2016 12:52PM PDT

And why BUY W10 when your current system is still eligible for a free upgrade.

Said free upgrade marks this machine "good for 10" and solves the "I don't have install media" issues.

As to the imgur link, I see a wall cabinet, maybe a screen shot and then something to hold leftovers.

I'm unclear what issue you are trying to solve. Maybe it's a dead PC?

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OS
Aug 14, 2016 1:48PM PDT

For a hard drive with no OS on it currently, you must upload an OS onto it. I do not have any windows on it at all, so I'm trying to upload a Linux. And if you looked, I'm talking about the three line static, not the other items....

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Ahh, that explains a little.
Aug 14, 2016 1:58PM PDT

Today most folk INSTALL an OS.

Since you can't boot and run any Linux so far you have some failed hardware in there. The pretty colored static screen is typical of a failed graphics card.

Is there any chance of telling more about this PC?

For example some have onboard video we can use, removing the graphics card and bringing the machine back to life.

Finally, does the BIOS or splash screen show? Can you get to the BIOS screen?

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Graphics
Aug 14, 2016 2:35PM PDT

Well I don't think it's the Graphics card though. It is able to produce an image, every so often it will show the purple Ubuntu loading screen but then fails. I can get to the BIOS fine, but is it possible it is a Hard Drive issue? The Hard Drive I am using is from an old Laptop which failed in either the Motherboard or the Hard Drive. I do not have any onboard video to use exactly, and no other Graphics card to exchange.

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Tell us about this HDD.
Aug 14, 2016 3:00PM PDT

Remember we only know what you tell us. Windows does NOT move from machine to machine and if it did boot, the drivers and install is all wrong. So the pretty colored screen tells us nothing.

I think you need to tell more about this PC. Maybe this is your first go at PC repair?

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HDD
Aug 14, 2016 3:23PM PDT

Yeah this is my first time working with a desktop, I've only really worked with laptops before. I originally got the pc from my uncle and it had everything installed correctly except for the Hard Drive, which he took out. When he gave it to me he said it worked fine with Windows 7, but the issue is I have no way of getting Windows 7 due to lack of money as of right now. All I'm doing is connecting an HDD to the motherboard via a SATA Cable.

What exactly do you need to know so I can provide it to you.

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The parts above are just that
Aug 14, 2016 3:36PM PDT

It doesn't tell me the story of this PC and how it came to be like this.

That video card is quite old and the screen you supplied is typical of a failed card, but your story is short. That is, I never read you saw all the normal screens until that Windows on some HDD from another machine booted up.

Or that you tried Windows Safe Mode.

On top of that, I can't tell if you tried installing Linux. Some folk are just new and for those, I think it's best to get a friend to show you how the first time.

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Linux
Aug 14, 2016 4:09PM PDT

Well currently I'm working off of possible 3 HDDs all of which have nothing on them. So no OS, Files, etc. So currently I am making Bootable USBs in order to transfer types of Linux onto the HDD. Because of this I cannot do Windows Safe Mode, or anything related to Windows.

Due to the possible failed card, would it be in my best interest to update my items before progressing with this PC?

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That word, I don't think it means what you think.
Aug 14, 2016 4:17PM PDT

You write "transfer" and here I've always installed Linux when it's time to run it from the HDD.

I've seen folk "transfer" from USB to a HDD via a copy command and that fails gloriously.


As it stands you are using words that I found folk try and fail to do. There is no download an OS to USB or HDD system today. We can download the OS in some ISO, BIN and other file types then we use some tools to write them to DVD, USB and such but the words you are using tell me you might be doing something very odd and that's why you are getting no where.

If the machine had a history, then lets hear it.

What power supply is in this PC?
What spare parts do you have to work with?

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Agree with Bob.
Aug 14, 2016 4:41PM PDT

Not all Linux distros are compatible with all machines hardware. I've tried loads and some just don't work with some machines. Tell us how you are burning the ISO file to USB/DVD. I have seen that screen when a machine is incompatible.
Dafydd.

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Unetbootin
Aug 14, 2016 5:20PM PDT
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I've used that with success.
Aug 14, 2016 5:27PM PDT

As someone else wrote, try another distro.
Dafydd.

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Which could be a problem.
Aug 14, 2016 5:31PM PDT
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USB
Aug 14, 2016 4:46PM PDT

Well in reality everything I've read and have been told, they all say that you can produce a bootable USB with an OS on it, plug it into a computer and it will allow you to download the OS to the PC itself. I'm basing everything off of what others have done and succeeded doing.

As of right now the Power Supply is a BFG 650W Power Supply, that's the only information I have on it currently. And the only spare parts I have around are all from 2005 and are very outdated.

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Answer
are you able to boot to
Aug 14, 2016 1:10PM PDT

are you able to boot to the ubuntu disk and run linux. you dont have to install.

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Nope
Aug 14, 2016 1:48PM PDT

Nope, it has the same result as if I were installing it.

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try again
Aug 14, 2016 2:51PM PDT

you said in a post it failed after getting the purple screen. was a full screen of static? if so, ubuntu and some of its variances has problems with some older computers graphics. try again with lubuntu http://lubuntu.net/

If it still fails, try replacing the motherboard battery.

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Download
Aug 14, 2016 3:33PM PDT

I will download this and let you know what happens!

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Failure
Aug 14, 2016 4:47PM PDT

It has failed once again. What is the purpose of replacing the motherboard battery? What will it be changing?

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battery
Aug 15, 2016 2:17AM PDT

the computer is pretty old so it should be time to replace the battery. It powers the bios settings and tells the computer what hardware it has. Since you cannot boot via harddrive, you cannot install an os nor can you boot using by a linux disk, there is a chance the battery is bad. It is best to eliminate that possibility as soon as possible.

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Answer
This is one very confusing post for me.
Aug 14, 2016 7:59PM PDT

You Uncle gave you this computer without an operating system? But it did have win7 before, what happen to it? If it doesn't have an OS now, then how do you go about downloading (upload) Ubuntu?

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Answer
Too Old Of A PC
Aug 16, 2016 7:06AM PDT

To me, it seems that the computer is a bit old. It uses good parts but they are kinda seem a bit too old to run those versions on Linux. It has to have at least more than 4 gb of ram (As I figured by messing with virtual machines, that was the least ram it could use to run Ubuntu). I'm not sure how much ram you have. On the prosesor side, it'd need to be atleast a core 2 duo as well.

If you don't have any parts to spare, you may need to install an older OS on that computer (Windows Vista, XP, Ubuntu 7.10 etc).

I beleave that is the problem, if not, then there may be something else wrong with that computer.

Ryan