linux live disk wont boot

Please try to pass some boot options to the starting kernel below some notes and how to...

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Ubuntu 8.10 some suggestions and tips and check steps to solve install issue

- Minimum system requirements to install Ubuntu 8.10 https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/SystemRequirements

- if you have more than 4gigabytes of ram and you want run 32 bits Ubuntu release please read:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=853678

Download the standard Ubuntu 8.10 32 bits iso image from here:
http://releases.ubuntu.com/releases/8.10/ubuntu-8.10-desktop-i386.iso
or better using a torrent file:
http://releases.ubuntu.com/releases/8.10/ubuntu-8.10-desktop-i386.iso.torrent

- Please check the md5sum of your downloaded Ubuntu .iso image file, here the https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM howto, and compare with http://releases.ubuntu.com/8.10/MD5SUMS

- Burn it on a cd rom, be sure to burn your cd at lower speed you can do usually 4x here an howto https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto

- Please also check the md5sum of your self burned cd. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM

- Boot your pc from self-burned cdrom, if it don't start from cd please modify your pc BIOS settings by accessing to it usually pressing CANC or F2 or other keys (check into your motherboard paper documentation or watch carefully the screen, usually there are tips to access BIOS, when you switch your computer on)

- then to be sure your ram is ok, boot from Ubuntu live cd main menu and at first showed menu, select the item "Memory test" to test your pc ram memory

- Here the steps to install Ubuntu 8.04.1 https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall

- Watch this video that show howto install Ubuntu on a pc with Windows: http://screencasts.ubuntu.com/Installing_Ubuntu_with_Windows_Dual-Boot

- if something go wrong at startup of Ubuntu live installation when you see the first cd menu like this http://i18.tinypic.com/6tzzndc.jpg pressing F6 you can put useful startup kernel boot parameters as showed here https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions

Try to perform the "Memory test" and the "Check cd for defects" to be sure the cd is read without errors by the destination pc cdrom driver

- Booting from Ubuntu live install cd:
 * if you are in trouble with screen graphic user interface
   (usually the screen is black with a blinking cursor or screen out of range message):
- first try to dynamically change screen resolution please the press CTRL + ALT + "+" and/or CTRL + ALT + "-"
- Try to restart the graphic layer press CTRL + ALT + BACKSPACE
- Here the basic step required during install process http://www.howtoforge.com/the-perfect-desktop-ubuntu-8.04-lts-hardy-heron

If you are still in trouble... please reboot your pc and starting with Ubuntu live cd please try to put some common Ubuntu kernel live cd options you can find the boot options howto here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions

Remove the "splash" and "quiet" options to see more boot infos message and/or errors.
Then try some commons parameters by putting them one by one or together:
noacpi nolapic nodma all_generic_ide pnpbios=off pci=noacpi

If this don't work i suggest you to download and burn on a cd at lower speed you can do (4x), here an howto https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto, the Ubuntu alternate install cd iso image ( ubuntu-8.10-alternate-i386.iso ) you can download this cd from here: http://releases.ubuntu.com/8.10/

Sometimes is useful to change, if you have 40-pin IDE cable for the CDROM, to an 80-pin IDE cable.

If you are in trouble to download you can try to install and use a torrent client Deluge http://www.deluge-torrent.org/downloads.php to get your desired Ubuntu iso image http://releases.ubuntu.com/releases/8.10/ please select a .torrent file

*** if you are installing in dual boot mode Windows + Ubuntu

Please make sure you Windows partition have no errors on it.

Booting in Windows force an a complete hard disk check.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265
Then reboot again in Windows and make a clean shutdown.
Be sure to boot in Windows twice and to get a clear Windows shutdown.

***

Always useful is the online Ubuntu doc https://help.ubuntu.com/8.10/

Hope this helps

the CD is fine, it works on my other PC, the laptop meets min requirements, i removed the quiet and splash parramters and whats where it froze (above), i did the memtest (fine), it wont do disk check (but the CD works cause it dose on the other PC), and i will do the other things that you said later cause i gotta go now.

Please can you try a LiveCd of a tiny distro such as Wolvix or sliTaz? If one works it'd be interesting
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=wolvix
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=slitaz
It's often handy having one of these LiveCd distros around anyway. I just gave you 2 of my favourites another one might be more your type of thing. DistroWatch is a popular place for comparing different distros.

Vista is difficult to work with but i can't imagine it'd be doing this.

Good luck and regards from
Tom

I'm assuming you're trying the best route , a proper dual-boot rather than a Wubi install?
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot

i tried to run slitaz but it freezes an "isapnp: no plug & play device found"
when i run wolzvix it goes to loading screen then stops,
when i run "wolvix splash=off" it also says "isapnp: no plug & play device found"

and yes i was going to do a dual boot with grub

I think they are all different kernels with Ubuntu's as the most recent but all giving the same error. I'm wondering if you have an old keyboard with a purple plug or a usb one? An old purple plugged one and a different monitor might maybe have a chance of getting past this but i'm a bit of a noob in linux so would't know. It's just that the "plug&play" message seem to point at keyboard and screen

If it's reasonably easy to test then go for it but i'd want to hear someone else saying the same thing really.

Good luck and regards from
Tom

its a laptop so there built in, i tried plugging in a USB mouse (nothing happened different), it doesn't have old ports.

Please post it as a new question. Only the most recent questions tend to get looked at so posting/reposting a question just before america arrives online gives the best chance of getting a good few answers.

Good luck and many regards from
Tom :)