Problem with liveCD and new laptop

[Zore The Bore]

Hi guys.

I've been using PCLinuxOS since 2007 and just got a better laptop. I'm having some LiveCD problems:

1.) I downloaded the PCLOS 2012 KDE version and did a burn (I used the iso burner built into Windows 7).
2.) I tried booting the LiveCD and it hangs right before going into the desktop.
3.) I rebooted and did a boot without the splash screen and there were no errors on startup. It seems to hum right along, but stalls right before bringing up the desktop. I don't get a mouse, a cursor, or anything else ... just a blank screen (black screen).
4.) I rebooted a third time and selected the boot with "Video Fallback" (apologies, I can't remember the actual acronym from the menu).
5.) In this boot mode, I boot to a desktop with rather large icons and such (I assume this is part of the VideoFB option).
6.) While the desktop is functional, I have no wireless internet connectivity, and it runs reaaaaal slow. That makes me hesitant to do an install, since I have to move the partition on the HD and keep Win7 (for school/work stuff)...

I've used PCLinuxOS for so long, that I'm not real well-versed on Windows anymore, so I'm not sure how to get actual hardware listings, since there is no lspci options in windows that I know of.

My Laptop is an HP Pavilion g7-1338dx. Intel Core i3. 4Gig of Ram. Intel HD Video Driver, Hitachi 500GB Sata HDD. Ralink RT5390 b/g/n 802.11 wifi. Realtek PCIe FE family controller.

Additional note: I CAN boot to my personal PCLOS (2011-release if I remember correctly) LiveCD that I built with my old system ... but I still have no wireless ability, and it is a little wonky too, which is why I downloaded the latest LiveCD.

Any suggestions?

[T6]

the problem is the cpu, it is a i3 with a gpu on the cpu, other users reported problem with the intel driver for that video card

i ignore if those users found a solution or they left the laptop with a vesa generic driver or another similar solution

[Zore The Bore]

Wow, wasn't expecting that kind of problem. Thanks T6. I'll do a search on those points you brought up and see what I'll want to do. I take it there will be some newer drivers coming for Linux in the future...

[Just17]

I suggest you boot using whatever option gets you to the desktop.

Then through PCC set up your graphics card to use the correct driver .....  test it.

Now you are asked to reboot ......  but because you are running live the changes would be lost ....  so .....  instead try   Ctrl, Alt +Backspace    and log in again, hopefully with the new graphics set up.

If that gives you a better display then all should be OK.

[Zore The Bore]

Thanks Just18. Yep, selecting a generic video driver did straighten out the desktop resolution issue. ctrl-alt-backspace worked fine off of the LiveCD environment. The KDE desktop looked much better after that.

I was able to resize the partition on sr0, and then I got an error that I couldn't create a new primary partition... sigh --I forgot that HP (and the now defunct Compaq) partitions their HDDs and use up all of the primary partitions. So, I need to rethink the whole dual boot install plan. I always put swap and / on primary partitions, so this is another twist to my install.

I remember a few years ago, I was able to run linux even without the annoying compaq hdd bios partition (which seems to now have migrated to HP machines) on an old Compaq Laptop. Hmm. This laptop is a decent machine for what I need (the larger screen is much easier on my eyes).

It also looks like the wifi card might be a problem too in this machine ... researching that later today.

[bicol_willem]

Thanks Just18. Yep, selecting a generic video driver did straighten out the desktop resolution issue. ctrl-alt-backspace worked fine off of the LiveCD environment. The KDE desktop looked much better after that.

I was able to resize the partition on sr0, and then I got an error that I couldn't create a new primary partition... sigh --I forgot that HP (and the now defunct Compaq) partitions their HDDs and use up all of the primary partitions. So, I need to rethink the whole dual boot install plan. I always put swap and / on primary partitions, so this is another twist to my install.

I remember a few years ago, I was able to run linux even without the annoying compaq hdd bios partition (which seems to now have migrated to HP machines) on an old Compaq Laptop. Hmm. This laptop is a decent machine for what I need (the larger screen is much easier on my eyes).

It also looks like the wifi card might be a problem too in this machine ... researching that later today.

Just use PMagic and create a secondary partition out of your empty space. From there you can go on creating partitions within that secondary partition. 

[Zore The Bore]

I haven't used partition magic in over 10 years ... didn't even know it was still around. I'm still thinking about blowing this HDD up and just going with Linux and be done with it ... I can always run that 'other OS' off of a USB stick (which seems to me to be apropos) ... or I could try to run it in vbox (I forgot that I have a whole lot more RAM in this machine). 

As a side note ... when LiveCD disk utility informed me that I couldn't create a primary partition, I tried to create an extended partition .... it wouldn't let me do that, either... I haven't needed more than 4 partitions in years. Apparently, I'm a little rusty on my HDD partition skills. 

[Just17]

You need to clear up one of the primary partitions to make one available for an Extended partition, into which you can put as many Logical Partitions as you wish.

If you have install media, or can generate install media for Windows, then it might be much easier to wipe the whole lot and start of from scratch .....  create the partitions without formatting them, and direct the new Win install into the partition already created.

[Zore The Bore]

That's what annoyed me about the OEM partitioning scheme...using primary partitions for software management crap... they could have easily placed them on logical drives. I'm going to have to pick up a SD_card/USB_drive to store all of the OEM stuff on it, and I'm wondering if I'm going to have to run a win_driver to get the wifi card up an running...

The problem with the existing primary partitions is that there is some alleged bios stuff stored in the hptools partition (i'm guessing some kind of revision tracking stuff for OEM web help). So, I'm a bit hesitant to go moving stuff around just yet. I'm guessing that the "restore" partition is holding some kind of disk image.

It might be easier to dig up an old HDD and do a standard Linux install (with no BIOS partition) to see if the machine will run fine like the old Compaq did... If it does, I'd have no regrets in blowing up the HDD and just doing a full Linux install and running the other OS off of a pen drive, or pull out my 32-bit Vista and run it in vbox.

I do not have install media, but I do have the HP restore utility ... apparently 5 single layer DVDs, or 3 dual layer DVDs.

I've actually found it easier to install Linux first and then install win (at least when I did it with Vista).