I installed an older version of ubuntu (9.04)and was asked to up date, I did. After up dating it cleaned up some files and nothing worked after that. I tried to reinstall it and was told that I needed to clean the disk. So I down loaded the newest ubuntu and tried to install it. The live CD comes up and works great. I try to install it and get an error (could not start device/dev/mapper/asr_pictures-no such file or directory) and it won't let me install it. This comes up after giving the key board info.I was using a USB then changed to a PS/2 that didn't help. This was the same error I got when I tried to install the newest Linux Mint. I know I can clean the old CD and USE it to install the older ubuntu and that will work. Then it will run out of support soon. I need help getting the new one installed. Please help. Thank you for your time.Try seeing if your Ubuntu 9.04 will not give you an error. If ubuntu 9.04 does give you an error then try maybe formatting your disk with a formatting app (such as http://partitionlogic.org.uk/download/index.html) and then restart the installation. Let us know how that turns out.

If Ubuntu 9.04 installed successfully then 10.04 should too. I think it's a disk partition problem.There is some information missing in the first post.
We need to know something about the history of his computer .This can MAKE a difference. Is this a laptop? Has there been any HARDWARE errors with this computer?
Assuming that it's a desktop, and not a laptop there is an easier way to get to the heart of the problem. You just stick in a fresh, clean hard drive and tried to install to the fresh clean hard drive. If that works, then you know that there was something wrong with the old hard drive or maybe the partition table had been corrupted.
The only reason I mention this is because I have had this kind of problem before when trying to do installation of anything on a hard drive that gave me trouble before. Sometimes the hard drive is flaky, but in some cases the partition table has been really messed up by some other programs or operating systems.Today I went out to get a disk cleaner. The local stores didn't have one. So I stopped by the game shop and asked them and they told me to use WINDEX and a micro cloth. I did and installed ubuntu 9.04. Every thing went just as it should. All is well with this install.  Life is good. Now if I up date this ubuntu to the latest then I think it will all quit working like last time. The reason I say this is because if I don't let it clean the system up it is going to use the new stuff any way so it still will not work. The computer I am using has an Intel 2.2 cpu Intel mother board, I don't remember the number. I will get it if I have to. I do have a video card, nvideo I think, not a real good one, 4GB of ram. I put this unit together for the grand kids to play games on. It is about a year or so old. It works fine with windows. I installed a second hard drive to play with linux. It works great with ubuntu 9.04. When they come over I will just hook up the other hard drive and all is well with them. I have other OS that I got from On- Disk that install and work. It seem like if I down load it and burn to disk it will not work. Oh the DVD player is a Pioneer. I did read that there could be a problem using DVDRW that I needed to use a CDR. Could that be the problem? I really don't think that is it because why will the up grade kill the system? The up grade is down loaded to the system. As far as the DVD player being bad it down loaded games and a bunch of other stuff in windows with no problems. It has down loaded the up dates for ubuntu with no problems. I don't know what to do. I can change out the DVD player I have a new one here. I just don't think that is going to help. Do you have any ideas? Oh this computer is a desk top and has had no problems at all.Glad to hear you got it going.
A word about RW drives. Never use them for things that are very important. They should be used for testing and for temporary storage. But even then, you take a chance. My personal preference is to use them just for him MP3 files that I want to listen to once or twice and then ERASE the CD RW.
A good quality CD - R. is a small investment for something you want to use over again. And they burn faster anyway.
Frankly, I am not familiar with how to do updates to the Ubuntu   system. My feeling is that I would just get a full version of the next level and install it. I have had good results with the 9.10 and  I'm going to hold off on using the latest version. There is a reason why they keep these archives are round. Sometimes it turns out that one of the older versions is more stable and reliable than the newer release. I do not know if that's true of the Ubuntu, but it certainly is a possibility.
What I would do is stick with what works. That's why I'm sticking with the 9.10 version. But if you find the 9.04 version as reliable, I don't see any reason to change. Quote from: Geek-9pm on May 05, 2010, 01:04:45 PM

I have had good results with the 9.10 and  I'm going to hold off on using the latest version. There is a reason why they keep these archives are round. Sometimes it turns out that one of the older versions is more stable and reliable than the newer release. I do not know if that's true of the Ubuntu, but it certainly is a possibility.
What I would do is stick with what works. That's why I'm sticking with the 9.10 version. But if you find the 9.04 version as reliable, I don't see any reason to change.

if you find the 9.04 version as reliable, I don't see any reason to change.

I did and installed ubuntu 9.04. Every thing went just as it should. All is well with this install.  Life is good. Now if I up date this ubuntu to the latest then I think it will all quit working like last time.

The only reason I can see to change is because it's only supported for about one  more year, that is 9.04. I like it better than what I saw of the new one, 10 what ever. That is the only reason I can see to up grade, is the support. If it isn't supported you can't get up dates for stuff if you have to do a reinstall like I just had to. I have a question. How do you reset the text size. I found it be for. This time I am having no luck finding it.