Ubuntu postinstallation problems and solutions

Problems might also occur after you install Ubuntu. This section addresses several possible postinstallation problems. This section covers only problems that appear immediately after installation - those that prevent Ubuntu from working correctly immediately after its first boot.

Problem
I use a widescreen monitor (or a widescreen notebook). When I boot to the desktop, the resolution is set too low. When I try to switch resolutions (by clicking System ➤ Preferences ➤
Screen Resolution), the resolution my monitor usually runs at isn’t available in the list.

Solution
In a minority of cases, the open source drivers for ATI and NVIDIA cards can't support certain resolutions on particular monitors. One solution is to install proprietary graphics drivers, although you should also update your system online as soon as possible to see if the open source graphics drivers have been updated and improved. In both cases, you'll need to configure your computer to go online.

Problem
After booting up, my USB mouse and/or USB keyboard are not recognized.

Solution
Try unplugging the keyboard and/or mouse, and then reattaching them. If you find they now work, log in to Ubuntu, and perform an online system upgrade.

If this fails to solve the problem, you can configure your BIOS to pretend your mouse and keyboard are traditional PS/2-style devices, as follows:

1) Enter the BIOS setup program by pressing Delete during the initial stages of your computer boot routine (while memory testing and drive identification are still taking place). Some computers might use a different key combination to enter BIOS setup, such as Ctrl+Insert, but this information will be displayed on your screen.
2) Use the cursor keys to navigate to the Integrated Peripherals section, and then look for an entry along the lines of USB Legacy Support. Set it to Enabled.
3) Press Esc to return to the main menu, and opt to save the changes.
4) Reboot the computer.

Problem
When I boot for the first time, I see an error message along the lines of "No operating system
could be found on the hard disk."

Solution
It seems that, for whatever reason, the GRUB boot loader wasn't installed correctly. Boot from the DVD-ROM, and select Try Ubuntu Without Any Change to Your Computer when prompted. When the Ubuntu desktop appears, click Applications ➤ Accessories ➤ Terminal. This will open a command-prompt window. Type the following commands in sequence:

sudo grub
root (hd0,1)
setup (hd0)
quit

Then restart Ubuntu (click System ➤ Quit). Ensure you remove the DVD-ROM when prompted. You should find that the Ubuntu boot menu now appears when you boot.

Problem
After I've installed Ubuntu, Windows will no longer boot, although Ubuntu works fine. After I select Windows from the boot menu, the Windows boot procedure either freezes when "Starting Windows . . ." appears or the boot status bar is shown, but the desktop never appears.

Solution
Try repairing your Windows disk using the Windows command-line tool chkdsk. This can be done from the recovery mode of the Windows installation CD/DVD, but the instructions for how to do this vary depending on if you’re running Windows Vista or XP.

Windows Vista
If you're running Windows Vista, follow these steps to run chkdsk:

1) Insert the Windows Vista installation DVD and select to boot from it.
2) You'll see the message "Windows is Loading Files", along with a progress bar. Once this has cleared, select your language/locale settings from the Install Windows dialog box, and then click Next.
3) On the next screen, don't click the Install Now button. Instead, click the Repair Your Computer link at the bottom-left corner of the window.
4) In the System Recovery Options dialog box, select your Windows Vista partition, and then click Next.
5) On the next screen, select Command Prompt.
6) In the command-prompt window that appears, type the following (this assumes Vista is installed on drive C:):
chkdsk c: /R
7) Wait until the check has completed, and then type exit at the prompt.
8) Back in the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Restart. This will reboot your computer. Be sure to eject the Windows Vista DVD before doing so.

Windows XP
If you're running Windows XP, follow these steps to run chkdsk:

1) Insert the Windows XP installation CD, and select to boot from it.
2) You'll see status messages that Windows is loading driver files. Eventually, the Windows Setup menu will appear. Press R to start the Recovery Console.
3) You'll be asked to confirm which Window installation you would like to boot into; do so.
4) You'll then be prompted for the administrator’s password. If you don't have one, simply press Enter.
5) At the command prompt, type the following:
chkdsk c: /R
6) Wait until the check has completed, and then type exit at the prompt. This will reboot your computer. Be sure to eject the Windows XP CD before rebooting.

Problem
When I boot for the first time, all I see is a black screen with some text at the top saying "Ubuntu hardy ubuntu tty1" and beneath that "ubuntu login:".

Solution
For some reason, the automatic configuration of your graphics card failed during installation. See the following section for instructions on configuring your GUI manually.

Tags: bios,boot,drivers,memory

Related Articles