new, problem running livecd Help

[mooseye]

I downloaded and burned the iso to disc. Tried to boot from CD and the splash screen opened and then a bar across it. The bar seemed to stop progress, so after some time I turned off the computer and removed the disc. On startup, the PC will not move past the screen where you can choose to change boot order/go to setup/go to restore. There does not seem to be any response to keyboard or mouse input.
 Have I killed this computer?  I tried reinserting the linux disc with same result. Frozen at the screen with the choices.
 Can anyone help me? I am very new to anything linux.

[menotu]

Hi mooseye,

Firstly, welcome to the forum - lots of friendly people here who'll be willing to offer help.

The first thing you may want try is reburning your iso livecd as sometimes that can cause problems like your having (e.g just a bad disk)

Is your PC booting normally without the CD in the drive?

[mooseye]

Thanks for the welcome.
 No the computer will not boot with or without the cd in the drive.

[menotu]

No the computer will not boot with or without the cd in the drive.

Lets see whether you can boot normally (e.g lets by-pass the CD booting option)

Can you get into the bios to check that your boot sequence is set as you want it (normally get into the bios by pressing the del key, or the F2 key (it may tell you the key to press on the boot screen)

once in the bios look on one the pages for the options for Boot Sequence and set it to:

First Boot Option set to HDD
Second Boot Option set to CD

The above should now check the hard disk firstand boot normally into your regular operating system

BTW, what operating system are you running on this PC?

If you can now boot into your OS try and burn your PCLinuxOS LiveCD again (you may want to set your CD to burn at a slower speed if you keep getting disks that don't work)

Then go back into your bios and change the boot order to:

First Boot Option set to CD
Second Boot Option set to HDD

Hopefully you can now boot the LiveCD.....

[mooseye]

The computer will not boot. Period. It goes to the screen I described in my first post and that is all it will do. There seems to be no keyboard input or mouse.

[mooseye]

More info.
 This is on an HP desktop computer running WindowXP ser pack 3 The unit was working great until I tried to run the linux liveCD.

[chilly]

Try reseating memory modules,cables to harddrive

[mooseye]

Try reseating memory modules,cables to harddrive

Do what?
All I did was put the cd into the drive.
 Do you mean unplug the memory and hard drive then reconnect them? Or are you just saying they could be loose?

[Old-Polack]

Try reseating memory modules,cables to harddrive

Do what?
All I did was put the cd into the drive.
 Do you mean unplug the memory and hard drive then reconnect them? Or are you just saying they could be loose?

Yes, that's what he means. Turn off the computer, unplug the main power cord, physically remove the memory modules, then plug them back in. Be sure the end locks are fully snapped back in place. Unplug the cables at both the hard drive end and the MB socket, and then reconnect them. You'd be surprised how often this simple procedure corrects a variety of weird symptoms. 

[mooseye]

Okay, no change. This has to be something that the live cd did or caused. The computer has never missed a beat until the first couple of minutes after booting to the PClinuxOS LiveCD.

[caerhays]

Hi mooseye,

Exactly how did you turn the PC off. Did you use the off switch on the case or the switch at the wall socket , did you press control-alt-delete, or what ?.

When a computer is shut off, the head has to come to rest on the platter surface of the hard disk. How you turn it off can affect this process. It is possible the disk was corrupted/damaged in some way.

However i've personally never heard of anyone corrupting their system by using a Linux LiveCD from any distribution.

You say "I tried reinserting the linux disc with same result. Frozen at the screen with the choices."    Which choices.........the WindowsXP choices or the Linux choices ?.

[mooseye]

I turned it off with the button on the front of the tower.
 I will go to the same screen which is the first screen that normally comes up on this unit. It showes the HP logo and the choices to pres esc,
F1 or F10 and that is as far as it will go with or without the linux disc.

[old_guy]

mooseye
I don't know how booting a livecd could cause your problem. but searching brought up among many- these:

http://www.computing.net/answers/windows-xp/my-computer-will-not-boot/166846.html

http://www.justanswer.com/questions/1qxnb-hp-pavilion-will-not-boot-up-gets-to-the-start-up-screen

http://www.help2go.com/forum/computer-help/103671-computer-keeps-rebooting.html

Maybe something on these might help.

It does seem to me to be hardware related. Having heard many stories running a computer repair shop - like:

   My husband said his machine was working fine yesterday but today
   I turned it on and it won't come up. He said I broke it.
   I have to tell her and him that because one of you turned on a light
   switch and the bulb blew, doesn't mean that that person broke the light.
   Electronic and mechanical things work fine until they don't. STUFF happens.

Hope you get it worked out.

Earl

   

[mooseye]

I did get it worked out. I have been thinking about trying to duplicate it but I am tired tonight.
 If my theory is correct it was a hardware issue caused by a software glitch induced by the off switch.
 Does that make any sense?

[mooseye]

Ps  Thanks to all the posters for trying to help. !