Score:0

Ubuntu showing many ASCII symbols on a black screen during installation

br flag

I have a live USB with Ubuntu 20.04 (downloaded with bitorrent from the official Ubuntu website torrent file).

I am trying to boot up from that live usb and install Ubuntu. Everything works fine till I select "Install Ubuntu" and even "Install Ubuntu with safe graphics" and even when I choose nomodeset from the F6 options and select Install or Install with safe graphics.

I get a black screen with random ASCII letters and the text IB displayed at several places (have attached picture).

Black screen with colourful ASCII text and IB written

Please tell me how I can get past that black screen and continue with the Ubuntu installation.

NOTE : I was running Ubuntu 20.04 successfully on this laptop without any graphical problems. I recently formatted the laptop and this problem started appearing after I am trying to reinstall Ubuntu. So my graphics driver and video driver is compatible with Ubuntu 20.04.

David avatar
cn flag
Did you verify the ISO you downloaded and how was the USB made?
br flag
Yes, the ISO is perfect and the installation media (live usb) is also perfect because I installed Ubuntu on another laptop using them and the installation booted up and works. I have found the answer to this question and the problem was with my RAM. Writing up an answer right now.
ChanganAuto avatar
us flag
Warning for future readers: The OP now knows and admits this was an hardware issue (RAM).
Score:-1
br flag

The problem was with the RAM of my laptop (the green chipset which is installed as hardware into the laptop). I had gotten a new chipset of DDR3 4 GB RAM installed into the laptop recently and it turned out to be faulty and old. When I removed the RAM the laptop booted up Ubuntu from the live USB.

P.S - The ISO I was using was perfect and the installation media (live usb) was perfect as well because I installed Ubuntu on another laptop using them and the installation booted up and works.

ChanganAuto avatar
us flag
*I had gotten a new chipset of DDR3 4 GB RAM installed into the laptop recently and it turned out to be faulty and old* A crucial detail (pun intended) that is missing from your question. At the end of the day nothing to do with Ubuntu and something that you should have troubleshooted before asking.
br flag
Well, I had no reason to think that the RAM was faulty and thought that the graphics problem was a software problem related to Ubuntu. It was only when I removed the RAM that Ubuntu started and I understood that the problem was with the RAM. The question is helpful for Ubuntu users because if they ever see the strange graphics symbols on their computer they will understand that it is a problem with their RAM or other hardware.
ChanganAuto avatar
us flag
You had no reason to think it wasn't. Any recent hardware change should be the main suspect and tested accordingly. Your final note - *"I was running Ubuntu 20.04 successfully on this laptop without any graphical problems. I recently formatted the laptop and this problem started appearing after I am trying to reinstall Ubuntu"* - is quite misleading because it pushes forward the idea you're talking about a known good hardware but the reality is the exact opposite.
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