Unable to use OVA file to restore LinuxLite on VirtualBox.

[uttamuks]

I was using LinuxLite5 on VirtualBox on Windows. I had made a copy of the Linux Lite using Export Appliance (OVA file). I tried using that OVA file and I was able to get the machine as required. Now the issue is, My Windows host was having some issue and got crashed. I had to reinstall the Windows OS by formatting my hard drive. After Windows installation, I again installed Virtualbox and tried to install LinuxLite using the OVA file I created but I'm unable to use it. I used Import appliance and able to add the VM but when i try to run it doesn't load completely and get stuck in a blank screen for long time. If I click on Ctrl+Alt+End then it shows failed to Load.... most of the things. And sometimes I get a black screen with [InitRAMFS] screen and nothing happens. I tried to use fsck commands by doing some google search but no luck.
Could any one please help on this. Thank you.

[torreydale]

[member=31549]uttamuks[/member] ,


I don't see enough in your submittal for me to give a sufficient answer to your question, but Linux Lite installs quickly enough.  Would it be too much trouble to just create a new Linux Lite 5.0 virtual machine?

[uttamuks]

Thank you [member=5239]torreydale[/member] .
The OVA file contained all my setups etc. hence I was trying to get this up. I also tried creating a new Linux Lite 5 VM but I don't know why it takes too long to install and finally I get a message saying couldn't install bootloader.. and Install Crashed.
I think something wrong with my system, this all started happening after I got the Windows Bluescreen error and to fix that my harddisk was formatted and windows reinstalled.
After number of tries somehow I was able to login into Linux lite which i created using the OVA file and looked good but when it asked for updates I installed the updates and after completing the updates the system was in hung state without the panel and I had to force shutdown and after that doesn't work. Sometimes I get "invalid chs sector 0".
I will do some more tries and see if I could install. I will keep you posted on this.
Note: I'm new to Linux so don't have much idea to troubleshoot, just use google:-)
Thanks Again.

[torreydale]

The install happens quicker if you uncheck the option to install updates as part of the installation.  It's mentioned in the help manual.  So I install updates after the installation.


If you have another PC, you can launch the *.ova file from there.  If it works fine, then you know for sure something is wrong with your present computer.

[Şerban S.]

[...] Sometimes I get "invalid chs sector 0". [...]

Hello!

This is bad news. This message only appears when your hard drive is failing.
What you need to do is perform an integrity check.
You can use a live distribution such as GParted Live and check the drive for bad sectors.
I forgot what are the Apps bundled with Linux Lite, but if you have Gnome Disks, you should use it to test your drive for integrity and see what it says.
The message usually appears when the first sector of the disk is damaged but this means the drive is pretty old and has many thousands hours of service and needs urgent backup and replacement.
I encountered this many times. Last time it happened, was some couple of months or so (February or March, I forgot) and I had to replace three HDDs since there were bad sectors on those and weren't reliable any more. I can still use them, but safety is out of question.
So instead of trying to reinstall, which will further damage the drive, first run diagnostic tools (Smart Monitoring Tools, "gsmartcontrol"). If it finds defective sectors than you need to backup immediately and replace the drive.

Besides, the behaviour of the Windows installation points to the same problem: after a format and reinstall, this kind of random message is unusual, unless there are bad sectors.

Hope this will help you prevent losses.

Best regards!