Help required making bootable CD/DVD

  • Thread starter Thread starter stupar
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stupar

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Hi there,
I have downloaded a version of Linux mint to put on an older laptop.
Problem is I can download the ISO file easily enough but I can't get the discs to boot from start up even though power iso tells me the disc is bootable.
Please help with concise instructions so I don't start pulling my hair out
Thanks
 
Are you making sure you are burning the ISO as an image, rather than just putting the ISO file onto a disc?
In other words, if you open the CD in My Computer, can you see multiple files, or just one .ISO file?
 
I see one iso file which I burn to disc using poweriso
 
There's your problem then.

Close down PowerISO if it's open then open it again, just to make sure you have a clean session.

Click on Burn in the toolbar.
You'll see Current Compilation (should be grayed out) and Image file. Ensure Image file is selected. Click the three dots to the right, then select the ISO file. Click on Open.
Check your burning drive is correct and click Burn.
 
Right, can you check in this newly burn CD in My Computer, see what has been burnt to the disc? Is there just a .ISO file there or multiple files?
 
So it has burnt correctly this time.

Do you have any other bootable CDs or DVDs you can test, to check if your computer is allowing you to boot from CD?
 
I tried another boot disc and it works fine.
Scratching my head over this one
 
Not sure.
By disabling the 2nd boot device (hard drive) I get a error message saying boot record not found.
 
Might be worth re-downloading or checking the checksum, might have corrupted.
 
It sounds like everything in BIOS is setup correctly since you are able to boot off another CD. Check the MD5 checksum as joesmith suggested and I would also suggest burning the disc at a slower speed.
 
Will try those things in the morning, thanks for the help!
 
Having done slower burn speeds and used branded discs its still not working.
The discs are definitely bookable so it must be the laptop that's the issue.
Either that or the laptop doesn't like bookable DVDs due to its age.
 
The other option is to install it to a USB keystick and boot from that if your bios supports it.
Google pendrive linux. http://www.pendrivelinux.com/
Download the application and run it. Point it to your iso file and tell it your USB stick drive letter and it will transfer the Operating system to the usb stick.
then reboot and boot from usb.
Thats what i do with my netbook with no cdrom drive if i want to play with linux on it
 
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Laptop is to old to support USB boot.
Sussed problem. Laptop doesn't like boot DVDs. Burned CDs instead and Ubuntu and Linux mint show up but don't work.
Hmmmmm
 
You need to download the "cd version'" of the iso - when you boot up from the disc it will probably spend a while whirring and grinding - eventually a very "slow" version of Mint will appear -if you want to it will enable you to "play with it" without making any changes to your machine. There's an "install" icon on the desktop, when you click that it will run you through several setup screens which are all self-explanatory -following the full install it'll run much faster and easier - if you've used the "cut down cd version" just click the appropriate buttons to download the rest that you need........Good luck, it's a brilliant o/s, I use it on several machines
 
Did the cd version eventually. Both linux distress start to run but do nothing when tried as an install other than loads of command prompt style script.
Problem is the laptop has no OS on the hard drive. I tried a windows xp disc I have and it won't let me partition the hard drive and tells me to check it.
I'm now wondering if the hard drive is partly to blame.
 
You don't need an o/s on the disc - it should be really simple, just burn the iso as is, fire up the computer, let Mint load, hit "install" and follow the prompts.............
Sounds like you may have a hard-drive problem
 
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I think the hard drive is knackered as linux distros and win xp won't load or install.
Plan B source IDE hard drive me thinks
 
There are a loads of IDE drives on ebay but anything above 60gb seems to go for crazy money.
 
Fair enough, lots of small capacity ones on the 'bay if they're big enough for what you need.
 
It was a 20gb that was in it and the laptop is just for the mother in law to surf net do emails etc so small capacity is fine.
 
Thought I would update this thread.
I put in a new hard drive but still the same problem with Linux not working.
Turns out the laptop only has 128mb ram!
So for the time being I have it running Damn Small Linux (DSL) which runs like a dream.
Will max out the ram at 1gb then put mint on it and make one happy mother in law.
 
If it's a fairly ancient laptop then it may be that recent versions of Mint won't install.
I seem to remember running in to this problem and had to get an older version of Mint (V.9 if I remember correctly) and then update it via the net.
128mb of ram won't be helping matters either. 1gb kit (2x512mb modules) can be had for about £15 on eBay.
 
If all you need is a basic laptop for Internet etc, you may be better buying an old dual core for around 60-80quid that try to resurrect something which is obviously costing you cash to get a basic Linux os on (tenner for an old hdd, 15 for ram.... Where will it stop?)

Just my opinion
 
reality bites said:
If all you need is a basic laptop for Internet etc, you may be better buying an old dual core for around 60-80quid that try to resurrect something which is obviously costing you cash to get a basic Linux os on (tenner for an old hdd, 15 for ram.... Where will it stop?)

Just my opinion
Click to expand...

I value your opinion but what happens when the £60-80 laptop needs money spending on it, where do you draw the line.
The thing I will say about this laptop is it was bought brand new 9 years ago and then never used. It just sat in a laptop bag.
It is immaculate so is worth working with more so when the M in law was given its for free.
In the end I got another hard drive of eBay for £6.99 and will pick the ram up next week.
So £22 to bring a new old laptop back to life is money well spent.
 
stupar said:
I value your opinion but what happens when the £60-80 laptop needs money spending on it, where do you draw the line.
The thing I will say about this laptop is it was bought brand new 9 years ago and then never used. It just sat in a laptop bag.
It is immaculate so is worth working with more so when the M in law was given its for free.
In the end I got another hard drive of eBay for £6.99 and will pick the ram up next week.
So £22 to bring a new old laptop back to life is money well spent.
Click to expand...

Fair enough, I guess only you know where to draw the line with it.
 
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