I have just downloaded Ubuntu 14.04 to run alongside Windows 8.1. Ubuntu appeared to download correctly, but will not run.
At switch on time, I select Ubuntu [not Windows] and nothing happens for 10 sec, then I get the message “Windows failed to start”. Insert installation disk and restart computer.
Selecting Windows works fine.
Any ideas, please?
Is this a laptop ? … what’s the make/model ?
I take it Ubuntu works from the LiveCD, and that it’s the installed version that doesn’t boot ?
Thanks for replying. My machine is a new laptop Asus X550CA. It came installed with Windows 8 [now upgraded to 8.1]. I downloaded Ubuntu directly directly to my machine; there is no CD. It is the version I downloaded and installed that doesn’t work. At the installation stage I was asked to load the CD, although there isn’t one.
You cannot install Ubuntu from within Windows … you need to burn the ISO image to either a CD/DVD or a USB stick … then boot to it … then install
If you need help burning to a CD/DVD or USB stick, just ask 
Thank you for that. I’ll download to a USB stick and see how I get on.
You might want to read up on that, as you cannot just copy the iso onto the USB stick. 
You could try LinuxLive USB Creator (works on Windows)
I’m REALLY intrigued as what this “installation” was!
Where did you obtain “Ubuntu” from?
Hmm … apparently they brought WUBI back
http://askubuntu.com/questions/449486/windows-installer-for-ubuntu-14-04-lts-onwards
I really wish they hadn’t … from a support perspective it’s a nightmare.
Oh. My. God.
OP - Do NOT use wubi, it is buggy as hell and does not work in a lot of cases. Plus it’s slow.
Use LinuxLiveUSBCreator (http://www.linuxliveusb.com/en/download to create a USB “install disk” (it will wipe the USB drive completely, so use a blank one or one you don’t mind getting wiped), then reboot your computer with the USB stick still plugged in