Another plea for help

This time, I'm working with an Acer Aspire One netbook.  It's my brother's girlfriend's.  Basically, he totally fucked it up trying to install Windows 7, and nothing works.  I've tried making a bootable flash drives several times to no avail (doesn't detect it, etc.).  I've tried a network boot, but it's missing some file and that doesn't work. 

I'm at the stage where I'm taking it apart and taking the hard drive out and putting it into a external-2.5" drive case.  Any way I can put an OS onto an external drive then putting that drive into the netbook?

I'm pretty much at a loss.  The goal is to put Windows XP 32-bit, or if I can't do that, a noob-friendly Linux (pinguy maybe?).

Why not just use a USB DVD rom drive?

Why not just use a USB DVD rom drive?

Tried it.  Nothing.

Since the HDD in there is SATA, I'm popping it into my computer (not as an external but as an internal) and seeing if I can install an OS that way.

How did he manage to totally fuck it up trying to install W7? It's one of the easiest things you can do.

How did he manage to totally fuck it up trying to install W7? It's one of the easiest things you can do.

I wish I could tell you...


Anyway, right now it's an internal hard drive in my PC.  Any way I can get an image of an OS onto it?  I'm not sure I can install an OS on it, seeing as though the computer I'm on is 64-bit and I need a 32-bit OS on it.

Quote from: Vindictus on September 18, 2011, 02:33:57 PM

How did he manage to totally fuck it up trying to install W7? It's one of the easiest things you can do.

I wish I could tell you...


Anyway, right now it's an internal hard drive in my PC.  Any way I can get an image of an OS onto it?  I'm not sure I can install an OS on it, seeing as though the computer I'm on is 64-bit and I need a 32-bit OS on it.

You can install a 32bit OS on a 64 bit system.

I think I found a solution... my computer only has 2 SATA ports, so I decided to install the main hard drive and the 2.5" drive from the netbook.  I then installed a program called Virtualbox on the main drive, downloaded an .iso for a Linux OS, and I'm currently installing that OS onto the netbook drive in a virtual machine.

Fingers crossed.

I think I found a solution... my computer only has 2 SATA ports, so I decided to install the main hard drive and the 2.5" drive from the netbook.  I then installed a program called Virtualbox on the main drive, downloaded an .iso for a Linux OS, and I'm currently installing that OS onto the netbook drive in a virtual machine.

Fingers crossed.

That may not work.
Virtual Machines aren't always as open nor will it write a boot sector, if I'm correct.

You can't just format the drive using another computer and try again?

How did he manage to totally fuck it up trying to install W7? It's one of the easiest things you can do.

Maybe he succeeded.

Quote from: Vindictus on September 18, 2011, 02:33:57 PM

How did he manage to totally fuck it up trying to install W7? It's one of the easiest things you can do.

Maybe he succeeded.

False.

I ended up popping the 2.5" in my computer and disconnecting my main drive, and from there I just installed Ubuntu from a CD I had lying around.  Works great, minus a broken battery I need to replace.  I'll install Win7 later, unless you guys can think of something better (more efficient, etc.) for a little 9" netbook for a highschool student.

I ended up popping the 2.5" in my computer and disconnecting my main drive, and from there I just installed Ubuntu from a CD I had lying around.  Works great, minus a broken battery I need to replace.  I'll install Win7 later, unless you guys can think of something better (more efficient, etc.) for a little 9" netbook for a highschool student.

Windows XP if you can get drivers for it.

Steve will suggest Debian or OpenBSD.  He will also suggest that you format the shit called Ubuntu.

I ended up popping the 2.5" in my computer and disconnecting my main drive, and from there I just installed Ubuntu from a CD I had lying around.  Works great, minus a broken battery I need to replace.  I'll install Win7 later, unless you guys can think of something better (more efficient, etc.) for a little 9" netbook for a highschool student.

If you have any other option, you should avoid installing Windows on a netbook. I have owned Windows netbooks, and they always run hideously slow, even if you're just trying to word process something.

If it has 2GB ram and a decent processor, then it should be okay. Anything less made me too frustrated to use it.

It'll have 1.5gb of RAM (max it can handle, DDR2 667) and some shitty Ion processor.  Again, if anyone can suggest a user-friendly (as in friendly-to-someone-who's-inexperienced-with-Linux) OS that's better on a netbook, I'm all ears.  It just needs to read/write .docx and have Chrome.

It'll have 1.5gb of RAM (max it can handle, DDR2 667) and some shitty Ion processor.  Again, if anyone can suggest a user-friendly (as in friendly-to-someone-who's-inexperienced-with-Linux) OS that's better on a netbook, I'm all ears.  It just needs to read/write .docx and have Chrome.

Either Debain or Windows XP.
The whole XP setup can be put onto a flash drive.

It'll have 1.5gb of RAM (max it can handle, DDR2 667) and some shitty Ion processor.  Again, if anyone can suggest a user-friendly (as in friendly-to-someone-who's-inexperienced-with-Linux) OS that's better on a netbook, I'm all ears.  It just needs to read/write .docx and have Chrome.

As much as I hate it for my own purposes, Ubuntu should be fine. I really don't see why you're so eager to replace it with something else if you've got it installed and running.

Quote from: Hessy on September 19, 2011, 05:45:20 PM

It'll have 1.5gb of RAM (max it can handle, DDR2 667) and some shitty Ion processor.  Again, if anyone can suggest a user-friendly (as in friendly-to-someone-who's-inexperienced-with-Linux) OS that's better on a netbook, I'm all ears.  It just needs to read/write .docx and have Chrome.

As much as I hate it for my own purposes, Ubuntu should be fine. I really don't see why you're so eager to replace it with something else if you've got it installed and running.

I am speechless by the above comment.