Boot Manager is missing.....

I have a blank laptop that im trying to install an OS onto. Im trying to run ubuntu 11.10 off a 2 gig thumb drive thats been converted as a bootable drive. when the laptop is turned on and it goes to load windows it tells me the boot manager is missing please press cntrl alt delete to restart. after setting the boot order through bios the system still does not recognize or pull up the thumb drive. The dvd drive on the lap top is a bit "wonky" for lack of a better word, it doesnt always read whats there which is why im trying to install from a thumb drive. anyone have any idea how i can at least get the boot manager issue cleared up so that the system will run from the thumb drive??? any help, information, or suggestions would be greatly apprecieted.

Also, I apologize if theres already been a similar thread/Issue brought up on this forum before. Happy Thanksgiving all.

Hi herzeild, happy belated Thanksgiving!

First question:

when the laptop is turned on and it goes to load windows it tells me the boot manager is missing

I thought you said the laptop was blank, as in no OS installed at all. What is the exact wording of the error message?

Second question: How did you make the USB stick bootable? Are you sure this was done correctly, or are you able to test its bootability on another computer?

The laptop was a gift to me. Original owner lost the
Software and ended up crashing the system. Its an HP that
That was running vista. 3.4 ghz 64 bit. Trying to get any kind of OS
running on it.

The USB is verified as bootable on a tower

Why do you have Ubuntu on a stick if you're trying to install Win7? This is a Win7 forums.

The error means the stick is not booting but the HD is trying to boot.

You need to use Universal USB Installer to format the stick correctly, choosing OS in the dropdown menu to load your ISO file.

Then boot the stick under USB, Removable or HD's in BIOS setup or one-time BIOS Boot Menu.

I ran it with universal USB Installer.
I asked on here because the original OS is windows.
As I said, for now Id just like to have a working OS.

It is not clear at all from what you have written what you want to do. You said that you are trying to install Ubuntu but then mention Windows in the same sentence.

Did you write the Win7 ISO to flash stick using Universal USB installer with Win7 in the dropdown menu?

Did you boot it to clean install Win7? Enter BIOS setup to set USB drive to boot first - it may be listed under USB, REmovable or HD's.

Or use the one-time BIOS Boot Menu key given on first screen to boot USB stick.

What exactly happens then? If the install fails, tell us how it is failing and when.