my computer cannot be booted from bootable CD (please help)

[Steve]

I have windows XP installed, and I attempted to install Linux in
different partition. I think I chose some wrong installation settings,
and it turned out my computer cannot be booted from bootable CD such as
Windows XP, and even Linux Installation CD.

Now, after I turned on my PC, it attempted to load Windows XP, but it
seemed hang there. When I attempted to boot from Windows XP CD or Linux
Installation CD, it hanged there too. Any ideas what I should do now?

Please advice. thanks...

 

[Mark Trimble]

I have windows XP installed, and I attempted to install Linux in
different partition. I think I chose some wrong installation settings,
and it turned out my computer cannot be booted from bootable CD such as
Windows XP, and even Linux Installation CD.

Now, after I turned on my PC, it attempted to load Windows XP, but it
seemed hang there. When I attempted to boot from Windows XP CD or Linux
Installation CD, it hanged there too. Any ideas what I should do now?

Please advice. thanks...

Sounds like either GRUB or a hardware problem.

Recommend you check your bios and change if necessary to boot from CD and or
floppy before booting from hard drive. If that is the case, then I would
suspect the cd reader and or the hard drive has gone bad.

 

[Steve]

Sounds like either GRUB or a hardware problem.

Recommend you check your bios and change if necessary to boot from CD and or
floppy before booting from hard drive. If that is the case, then I would
suspect the cd reader and or the hard drive has gone bad.

Mark:

In my BIOS setting, I have changed the boot sequence to boot the CD ROM
first, and hard disk the last. I think the linux installation has
corrupted, once I am able to delete linux, problem can be solved. But
the problem is it is strange that I cannot boot from CD, and my PC
doesn't have floopy disk, that's another problem. I am sure the CD ROM
works fine.

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

Now, after I turned on my PC, it attempted to load Windows XP, but it
seemed hang there. When I attempted to boot from Windows XP CD or Linux
Installation CD, it hanged there too. Any ideas what I should do now?

Hang yourself. No other options are viable.

 

[Unruh]

I have windows XP installed, and I attempted to install Linux in
different partition. I think I chose some wrong installation settings,
and it turned out my computer cannot be booted from bootable CD such as
Windows XP, and even Linux Installation CD.

Now, after I turned on my PC, it attempted to load Windows XP, but it
seemed hang there. When I attempted to boot from Windows XP CD or Linux
Installation CD, it hanged there too. Any ideas what I should do now?

It sounds like, independently of your installation, your CD crapped out.
There is nothing in installing linux which would make booting from CD
impossible.

Make sure that your bios tries to boot from CD first, before trying to boot
from hard drive ( ie go intothe bios editing to the Boot page and set up so
that booting from CD is first.)

Note that switching on and off your computer is the time when there is the
greatest probability of failure. I have had machine happily running for
years, and the first time I switch it off, something breaks-- CD dies, disk
dies,....

 

[Guest]

| I have windows XP installed, and I attempted to install Linux in
| different partition. I think I chose some wrong installation settings,
| and it turned out my computer cannot be booted from bootable CD such as
| Windows XP, and even Linux Installation CD.
|
| Now, after I turned on my PC, it attempted to load Windows XP, but it
| seemed hang there. When I attempted to boot from Windows XP CD or Linux
| Installation CD, it hanged there too. Any ideas what I should do now?

When you say "attempted to ..." how far does it get to with each?

It sounds like the partition table has been changed. Other possibilities
are that geometry settings in the MBR are changed, or some partition data
is written over with something else. Typos that you didn't notice during
the install could be a culprit. But Windows is also known to mess with
things.

To boot into your installed system, assuming it is still in an OK state
on disk, using a CD, you need to specify at the boot prompt a partition
to be mounted as the root filesystem. This is usually "root=/dev/whatever"
done at the prompt. You have to start typing quickly or the prompt will
timeout and use its default (which may be an initial ramdisk that just runs
the installer from the CD).

Example input at prompt if you installed Linux on partition 4 of the primary
IDE disk: root=/dev/hda4

Since you posted online, you have something that works to get online with.
There are a number of rescue disk images available if the installer CD you
have doesn't do the right things.