Now it boots, now it doesn't

  • Thread starter Thread starter bxf
  • Start date Start date
B

bxf

Not sure this post belongs in this forum, but what the heck.

I've obtained a bootable CD that I successfully used on one desktop PC.
Upon booting, one is greeted by a menu with several options, etc., etc.

When I tried this disk in my laptop, I get the menu, but, after
entering an option (any of several), I get a garbled display showing a
screen full of white on blue text, looking almost like a memory dump,
and includes the literal 'Linux' in some places. And then at the bottom
it says something about a boot I/O error.

Now, it would be easy to suspect the disk, but 1) I've used it on
another machine (no longer accessible to me), and 2) I've tried to copy
the disk to see if I encounter any errors, but I did not, and the copy
behaves the same way.

Both the desktop and the laptop run Win XP (so what?) on P4 (2.8,
3.06). The desktop uses a new ATI X300 graphics, whereas the laptop has
Intel Extreme integrated graphics, and this is the one area that my
imagination tells me could have some relevance.

Any ideas as to the cause of the boot failure?
 
I've obtained a bootable CD that I successfully used on one desktop PC.

How did you obtained that CD?
What laptop make and model do you have?
 
Peter said:
How did you obtained that CD?
Click to expand...

I've received it from a third party for the purposes of testing some
applications on it. Can't tell you how it was created.
What laptop make and model do you have?
Click to expand...

Packard Bell Easynote M5, P4 3.06GHz, Intel Extreme integrated
Graphics, Intel 85852GME chipset, 512Mb memory (at the time).

What components can possibly create an issue here?
 
bxf said:
Peter wrote
Click to expand...
I've received it from a third party for the purposes of testing
some applications on it. Can't tell you how it was created.
Click to expand...
Packard Bell Easynote M5, P4 3.06GHz, Intel Extreme integrated
Graphics, Intel 85852GME chipset, 512Mb memory (at the time).
Click to expand...
What components can possibly create an issue here?
Click to expand...

Could be the cdrom drive is a bit flakey or even the laptop itself.

Could just be something the OS on the CD doesnt like about the laptop too.
 
Rod said:
Could be the cdrom drive is a bit flakey or even the laptop itself.
Click to expand...

The drive works OK normally, so if it were the problem with this
particular disk, I would not have had the same behaviour when using a
copy.
Could just be something the OS on the CD doesnt like about the laptop too.
Click to expand...

I suppose that's what it probably must come down to. Is it possible
that attached devices (external drives, TV-tuner) could somehow be
affecting the boot process? I suppose I can try to disconnect
everything. I just wouldn't have thought these type of things would
come into the picture at boot time.
 
bxf said:
Rod Speed wrote
Click to expand...
The drive works OK normally, so if it were the
problem with this particular disk, I would not
have had the same behaviour when using a copy.
Click to expand...

Yeah, its not all that likely to be a bad cdrom drive, tho
its working a lot harder when booting an OS than usual.
I suppose that's what it probably must come down to. Is it
possible that attached devices (external drives, TV-tuner)
could somehow be affecting the boot process?
Click to expand...

Hard to say when its not clear what OS is being used on the CD.
I suppose I can try to disconnect everything. I just wouldn't have
thought these type of things would come into the picture at boot time.
Click to expand...

Yeah, its not common, but it can happen, particularly
if the OS doesnt know anything about those devices
and cant handle unexpected events from them etc.

Cant say I have much experience with Linux and that sort of stuff.
 
Well, I disconnected everything, but still no go.

Linux (I suppose) does not like my laptop. Perhaps I should post this
in a Linux group.

Thanks for the comments.

B.
 
Well, I disconnected everything, but still no go.
Linux (I suppose) does not like my laptop. Perhaps I should post this
in a Linux group.
Click to expand...

Can you describe what shows on your screen when you boot
that CD on your desktop machine?

What were you planning to do after booting laptop with that CD?

Maybe it is time to dump it and look for something else?
 
Peter said:
Can you describe what shows on your screen when you boot
that CD on your desktop machine?
Click to expand...

Though it should have been obvious to me from the start, it took a few
comments from one Linux groups to make me conscious of the fact that
the problem is probably not with the boot process itself. Since I get a
menu to which I manage to respond, I must assume that booting is
complete, and that the problem is with subsequent processing. I need to
more closely examine what actually happens after booting and redefine
the problem.
What were you planning to do after booting laptop with that CD?
Click to expand...

Run some applications from it.

Thanks again for the response.
 
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