Cluttermagnet Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Hi All-I bought one of these laptops for Betty. It's a Lenovo G570/43344QU. We received it today and I am immediately having major problems getting it to connect to the internet over an *Ethernet* connection, of all things. I'm running a live CD session of Ubuntu 10.04. This is a very frustrating and completely unexpected development on a platform that looked pretty good on paper for use dual booting with Linux. It has Win7 Home Premium and is a 64 bit machine. It has an Intel Pentium B940 dual processor, 2GHz, 15.6" screen, 4G RAM, and 500G HD. The keyboard is nice and big, not a tiny 'chicklets keys' setup. It has Atheros wifi, BTW.I kind of need some hints as to why this machine might not be grabbing internet. Mind you, I'm not talking wireless here, I'm having trouble with basic Ethernet! I'm a bit steamed. So far, I have tried creating a user clutter with admin privileges and giving myself all provileges, such as 'connect to internet, connect wirelessly', etc. Those were not checked by default.In my next post, I will list the hard drive partitioning. It's pretty busy. They have already set it up completely as a Win7 machine and used all four possible partitions. Windows lives in a needlessly huge 422G partition. When and if I get to it, I'm going to have to do some creative shrinking and sliding and stretching of partitions to be able to put Linux on the drive dual booting. I have no intention of destroying Windows, I'm just going to give it very limited 'air time'. Right now, I don't even want to bother with Windows and I don't want it to see internet just yet. All that is a lower priority. I first want to make sure I'll be able to put a Linux distro on it, dual booting. Then I'll start the tedious process of adjusting partitions, imaging, etc. I don't want to lay a finger on Windows until I am *sure* it works for Linux and we have 'bought it'.All comments and suggestions welcome. I don't really want to send this back. It looks like a pretty good machine, overall- pretty well featured for an entry level rig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zlim Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 To be sure it is not a hardware problem, you should really see if you can get on the internet in windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Just a stupid question for starters... does it connect OK with the Windows 7? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cluttermagnet Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 (edited) Hmmm- I tried it under Bodhi 1.0.1 and it connected to internet/Ethernet with no trouble. Looks like an Ubuntu 10.04 problem.Typing this on the laptop...Edit: Now I'll put up a 'pictorial' of the hard drive partitioning next... Edited October 22, 2011 by Cluttermagnet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Well, it's not the laptop's prob, evidently. That's good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cluttermagnet Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 (edited) Here's the partitioning:(Unallocated).....................................1MPartition 1 sda1 ntfs Lenovo related....200MPartition 2 sda2 ntfs Windows 7..........422G......(~19G used)Extended Partition sda3...(Unallocated) ................................1M...sda5 ntfs Lenovo related................29GPartition 4 sda4 ntfs "Lenovo-Part"......14.75G Edited October 28, 2011 by Cluttermagnet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cluttermagnet Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 So, I think what I'd want to do to get this drive dual booting is:1. Shrink Win7 partition sda2 to about 1/3 to 1/4 size2. Slide sda3 down next to sda23. Stretch sda3 back to meet sda4 above4. Add 3 new partitions at top of sda3- root, home, and swap5. Install Linux dual booting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cluttermagnet Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 (edited) I's feel a lot safer adjusting the partitions if I could first get an image of Win7. That looks near impossible without doing the partition work, however. Win7 is presently almost 19G, most of which is bloatware, I hear. I don't see anywhere to park the image right now. I guess it would have to be ported directly to a series of 3-4 DVD's. Oh BTW Lenove didn't bother to send any software with the laptop. Not a scrap. No Windows restore disk, etc.One problem with this model laptop is the case is a little 'tinny'. It has a lot of flex. The display would wiggle a lot if actually used on a person's lap. Very easy to get the screen to wobble by moving any part of the case. Heck, you can even put your right hand on the right side of the case, then pick up on the left corner and see the whole base flex a good bit. Like I say, tinny. Edited October 22, 2011 by Cluttermagnet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 So, I think what I'd want to do to get this drive dual booting is:1. Shrink Win7 partition sda2 to about 1/3 to 1/4 size2. Slide sda3 down next to sda23. Stretch sda3 back to meet sda4 above4. Add 3 new partitions at top of sda3- root, home, and swap5. Install Linux dual bootingSounds like a plan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cluttermagnet Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 Sounds like a plan Yep. But it looks like I have to risk the entire Win7 install to do this, Josh. And I probably will end up doing that. Can't see how to do the image right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cluttermagnet Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 Anyway, the next steps can wait until tomorrow. I'm beat. Looks like Bodhi works fine on here. And that's a Debian distro, as I remember.Next: turn on wifi in the router here, check the Atheros wifi in the laptop. If that works, then I'm confident enough to move forward, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
striker Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Clutter !!! STOP!To start with, I have a Lenovo laptop myself, also with W7 (prof.).That 1M partition is not 'not allocated': W7 needs it to boot, when you erase that one W7 will be kaput.What you should do first is make the recovery disc set.This is what lenovo says:'Lenovo does not provide a recovery disc or a Windows disc with your computer. Instead, simpler methods of accomplishing tasks typically associated with a recovery disc or a Windows disc are provided with your computer.Note: Before removing the Lenovo partition on your hard disk drive, be sure to create a Product Recovery disc.'To create a set of Product Recovery discs, start Rescue and Recovery. Be sure to save this set in a safe place.I'm not sure if Lenovo is still sending recovery disc sets, but if that is still being done they will cost a few bucks, read more than 'a few.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onederer Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Instead of messing around your internal HD, why not use an external HD, or flash drive? This way, Win. drive stays intact, and unmolested. Install Linux on external USB device, GRUB and all. You'll get dual booting when external USB device is plugged in, and standard booting when unplugged.Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
striker Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Is that a great idea ! Why didn't I think of that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Clutter !!! STOP!To start with, I have a Lenovo laptop myself, also with W7 (prof.).That 1M partition is not 'not allocated': W7 needs it to boot, when you erase that one W7 will be kaput.What you should do first is make the recovery disc set.This is what lenovo says:'Lenovo does not provide a recovery disc or a Windows disc with your computer. Instead, simpler methods of accomplishing tasks typically associated with a recovery disc or a Windows disc are provided with your computer.Note: Before removing the Lenovo partition on your hard disk drive, be sure to create a Product Recovery disc.'To create a set of Product Recovery discs, start Rescue and Recovery. Be sure to save this set in a safe place.I'm not sure if Lenovo is still sending recovery disc sets, but if that is still being done they will cost a few bucks, read more than 'a few.'Yes!!! To striker, you listen... (in my best Yoda imitation) That 100MB partition is for the UEFI ... Do not remove that unless you have the OEM DVD install for the system (for times when you replace the harddrive, because that is in essence what you would be doing if you remove that!)The Lenovo G570 has says that the Ethernet is a Atheros Communications AR81Family Gigabit/Fast Ethernet Driver - They have Windows 7 and XP drivers for it at the Lenovo drivers site for the G570Jim says to boot up with Ubuntu again and look at dmesgIf Ubuntu does not have the firmware for that Atheros card, you might need to get that. This Ubuntu topic might help and even has a link to the Atheros firmware you might need.I am not sure but I think you want the grub on the same partition as the Ubuntu install right? And chain it to the current boot for Win7. Not sure... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Or as Onederer wisely mentioned ... using an external hard drive might be wise. ;)BTW: I would call Lenovo and have them send you the OEM install disks that will work if you have to replace the hard drive. Don't let them talk you into not worrying about it because there's a secondary partition with the system restore on it. Tell them you need the DVD restore disks. They will send them for free or a nominal fee plus S&H. It's WELL WORTH IT!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urmas Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 It's just that it is a laptop -- [routinely] using an external media might not be logistically ideal. Plus, it slows things down a bit.I bought me a new [Acer desktop] computer recently -- it came with Win 7, but since I have no use for it, I didn't bother with the rescue DVD burning drill. This is a Linux-only household.@Clutter:The above being said, you might be wise to listen to striker & Fran: the best approach would indeed be a "real" install disk. A rescue disk is a dumb creature -- its only function is to restore the computer to 100 % same state as it was when you purchased it.My [biased] advice would be:1. Get an install disk -- failing that, burn the rescue disks as per user manual2. Partition the disk as per your plan above3. Release the penguin(s)4. Using e.g. Clonezilla, make partition images Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Well the problem is they will probably not send you the actual OEM Windows 7 discs. All they will send you is the recovery discs and they do the same thing as the recovery partition does: delete all partitions and restore the laptop to factory settings. About the only option you have if you to keep your window's install is to shrink the partition. Other than that, you will need to buy a copy of Windows 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zlim Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 BTW Lenove didn't bother to send any software with the laptop. Not a scrap. No Windows restore disk, etc. Thais is what happens in about 99% of the new computers purchased in the last several years. The first thing you absolutely must do, is find out how to burn your restore/recovery DVDs and driver CD and do that before you make any changes. I routinely do this before I attempt to do any other thing. In the program listings you might see Lenovo Tools or something that just says Lenovo. Look through that before there will be an eRestore program which guides you through the burning of the disks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urmas Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Oh BTW Lenove didn't bother to send any software with the laptop. Not a scrap. No Windows restore disk, etc.Like Liz says, that's how it goes nowadays. Lenovo is "cheapskating" even more than Acer, I see... Acer was kind enough to include four EMPTY DVDs in the package. FOUR EMPTY DVDs!!! "Aye, Urmas, there's a good lad, now take these disks and tinker yourself a restore disk set!"Thanks, but no thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Like Liz says, that's how it goes nowadays. Lenovo is "cheapskating" even more than Acer, I see... Acer was kind enough to include four EMPTY DVDs in the package. FOUR EMPTY DVDs!!! "Aye, Urmas, there's a good lad, now take these disks and tinker yourself a restore disk set!"Thanks, but no thanks. Maybe they included the empty DVDs in hope that you would install Linux on the machine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urmas Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 YES! YES! YES! Thankee Josh! Now I see the light! That's why the disks were there -- am going to write a scorching hot love letter to Ms. Acer!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 YES! YES! YES! Thankee Josh! Now I see the light! That's why the disks were there -- am going to write a scorching hot love letter to Ms. Acer!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urmas Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 @Clutter:What is the estimated use of the lappy -- OS wise? For example, if your idea is to use Linux, say 80 % of the time (i.e. to use that lesser OS on a "for emergency use only" basis)... have you considered a two-HDD-approach? Them disks are cheap nowadays, and swapping a laptop HDD is a trivial task. This way you'd have a Linux HDD that you use and a Windows HDD that you keep on the mantlepiece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
striker Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Yep, that's another possibility. I did that with the old Acer I had. No worries, just the penquin only, yeah! And whatever happens to the laptop and you need to go the warranty route, it's easy peasy to pop in the then defunct W7 disk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
striker Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Creating Recovery Media in Windows 7http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloads/...?DocID=HT004960Assuming it's the same on your G 570,One way I got there in W7 was this:Open up start menu: at top - way above - select 'Lenovo ThinkVantage Tools', resulting in this:In here select: Factory Recovery DisksAnother way of getting there is by clicking the little laptop icon just right of the start orb, it looks like this:The result will be this:In here select: Lenovo ThinkVantage Tools > Factory Recovery DisksThinkPad.com support communitysearch done for G 570 reveals this:http://www.thinkpads.com/forum/search.php?...p;submit=SearchThinkWiki for linux is here:http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/ThinkWiki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymac46 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Don't want to rain on anyone's parade but I think the Atheros chipset mentioned is for the Ethernet connection. Checked the specs for this G570 and it looks as if it could be one of 3 wifi chipsets - Broadcom, Atheros, Intel. The only way to be sure is to do a lspci in one of the Live Linux systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Don't want to rain on anyone's parade but I think the Atheros chipset mentioned is for the Ethernet connection. Checked the specs for this G570 and it looks as if it could be one of 3 wifi chipsets - Broadcom, Atheros, Intel. The only way to be sure is to do a lspci in one of the Live Linux systems.Yes, the Atheros is the Ethernet on that system and there are three different possibilities for the wifi chipsets depending on which one was installed on the system you bought. But Clutter said that he couldn't get the Ethernet/wired working. Not the Wifi....or did I read it wrong, or did he come back fix a mistake on the first posting on this topic?And as far as the OEM Restore disks that I am talking about, these are from the Manufacturer. These are not the Restore partition situation or the System backup disks that they have you create. These are the OEM Restore DVDs from the manufacturer in case your hard drive fails. They will send them to you for free, or a small fee plus S&H. These are not Windows Install disks, they are generally DVD Restore Disks, driver disk and any software that came with your system (possible exceptions will be any purchases you did of the trials that were installed. They will not have that information.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
striker Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Ray, you're not raining on anyone's parade, and if you were we can always take an umbrella, can't we? But you're right with saying there are multiple possibilities for the chip used. To reveal that in linux was already mentioned, in Windows you can reveal the information by typing msinfo32 in the left hand bottom search field in the start menus area, msinfo32.exe will come up and clicking that all info for the machine will be available in a new window. Look at the section network to get the info requested. For example mine is a Broadcom for the Wifi.Let's see what Clutter comes up with next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Actually, I went back to Clutter's first posting and he was very specific that it was the *Ethernet* that he was having trouble with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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