I’ve been trying to install Ubuntu on my laptop, but I’ve hit a snag that I can’t seem to figure out. The installation process keeps stopping and throwing up a message saying it can’t locate a medium containing a live filesystem. Honestly, it’s super frustrating because I’ve gone through everything I can think of, yet I’m still stuck.
To give you a bit of context, I created a bootable USB drive using Rufus (if that makes any difference) and followed all the steps I could find online. I made sure to select the right ISO file and double-checked the USB format – it’s FAT32, just like I read I should do. I’ve also tried reformatting the USB a couple of times and recreating the bootable media, but that hasn’t helped either.
When I boot up the laptop, I can get to the GRUB menu where I select “Try Ubuntu” or “Install Ubuntu,” but then it just hangs there, and I get that message about not being able to find the medium. I’ve tried using different USB ports and even a different USB stick altogether—no luck. This isn’t my first time installing an OS, but I’m starting to wonder if I’m missing something super obvious.
Just kind of a side note, the laptop is a bit older, and I’m not sure if that could be causing any hiccups. Is it possible that there’s some kind of compatibility issue, or is it more likely a problem with the USB or the ISO file itself? I also noticed that the BIOS settings seemed a bit off, but I can’t quite pinpoint what changes might need to be made.
If anyone has experienced something similar or has any theories on what could be going wrong, I’d really appreciate your input. I’m eager to get Ubuntu up and running, so any tips, tricks, or suggestions would be a huge help! Thanks in advance for your assistance!
It sounds like you’re encountering a frustrating issue during your Ubuntu installation process. The “can’t locate a medium containing a live filesystem” error can often relate to problems with the way the bootable USB drive was created or issues with system compatibility. Given that you’ve used Rufus and ensured that the USB is formatted as FAT32, one potential avenue to explore is the way Rufus writes the data to the USB. It’s advisable to try using a different partition scheme such as MBR instead of GPT, especially for older laptops, as some BIOS versions have issues booting from GPT-partitioned drives. Additionally, make sure the ISO file isn’t corrupted; you can verify the checksum of the downloaded file against the official Ubuntu website to confirm its integrity.
If the USB drive setup appears correct, it’s worth checking the BIOS settings of your laptop. Disable features like Secure Boot and Fast Boot, as these can sometimes interfere with boot processes from external media. Also, confirm that the boot order is set correctly to prioritize USB devices. If you’ve already tried different USB ports and sticks, and still face issues, consider testing the USB drive on another computer to see if it boots correctly. This might help you determine whether the problem lies with the USB media or the laptop itself. If it still fails to work, considering using an alternative tool to create the bootable USB, like Etcher, might also yield different results. Troubleshooting these aspects should help you get one step closer to successfully installing Ubuntu.
Stuck Installing Ubuntu? Here are Some Thoughts!
Oh man, that sounds super frustrating! I feel your pain. Those kinds of errors can really throw a wrench in the works. So, let’s see if we can figure this out together!
Since you’ve already made your bootable USB with Rufus and checked that it’s formatted as FAT32, that’s a good start! But sometimes there can be little things that can trip us up. Here are a few things you could try:
Hopefully one of these suggestions does the trick! If not, if you can share your laptop model or some of the BIOS settings, I’m sure someone will have even more ideas. Just keep pushing forward – you’ve got this!