Ubuntu don't start

it sounds like you're uncle's computer has a virus.
does it boot up with the normal operating system?

I don't believe it's a vírus because Windows works great. It was formated a short time ago and any other non-Ubuntu Live CD boots ok, like Windows, UltimateBootCD4Windows or Acronis TrueImage LiveCD.

It stops booting the Ubuntu CD when It's suposed to start loading the OS.

The same thing happened with the Kubuntu LiveCD. I booted the CD. It loaded. Then I choose the option "Try Kubuntu" to start the Live Session. It starts to load and then the monitor goes off and the PC stops.

Windows XP works just fine without problems.

Is this any hardware incompatibility?

I agree with Abel Maio -- this doesn't seem like a virus or other malware. Typically a computer that is infected with malware will experience problems in the installed operating system, but will not be affected in its ability to boot an alternate operating system from a live CD.

It is possible for malware to cause this sort of behavior -- for example, malware could infect the BIOS image itself, or could be designed to create the appearance of another system booting while in actuality it is acting as a hypervisor and virtualizing that system. But those sorts of malware are extremely rare, at least so far.

When you say that the PC stops, do you just mean that the PC doesn't do anything else, or do you mean that the PC actually turns off?

This sounds like it *might* be a problem in X11 (which displays the graphical user interface on Linux-based and other Unix-like systems). All the other live CD's you mentioned trying are variants of Microsoft Windows, but even if you had tried another Linux-based CD and not experienced the problem, that would not exclude the possibility that this is a bug in Ubuntu.

Assuming that the PC is still turned on once the problem has occurred: After the monitor turns off, what is the effect of pressing the Caps Lock key? Does it cause the caps lock light on the keyboard to change? If so, that suggests that X11 has chosen a video mode (resolution/color depth/refresh rate) that your monitor does not support. If not, that suggests that Ubuntu has actually crashed on boot. The crash could be in X11, but it could be in another part of the system as well.

If the problem is that X11 chooses an unsupported video mode, then you should be able to bring up a virtual terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+F1. That will display some text, and allow you to log in by typing in your username (and then your password, when it asks for that). If you don't know how to use a command line on a Linux-based system, then this might not provide you with useful functionality (and it almost certainly won't make your uncle want to use Ubuntu). However, if you can bring up a virtual terminal (i.e. you press Ctrl+Alt+F1 and the monitor turns back on and displays some text), you know the problem has to do with X11.

Do you get a blank screen at boot ? In this case, which is the model of graphic chip (Intel, Nvidia or ATI) ?

@delance: Able Maio is using ATi. The original question contained some general information about the computer's hardware, including:

"Video Adapter: Asus A9250 (Radeon 9200 PRO)"

Hi Abel Maio,

What version of Ubuntu are you using for the live CD?
What do you mean by "the PC stops"? Does it power off?

If it doesn't power off, does ctrl+alt+del work?

Thanks.

Sorry for the Delay.

I can't try now the PC, but when the monitor turns off, also the keyboard froze. So the Ctrl Key don't light up the Ctrl light.

When it start to boot the CD the monitor turns off like when it goes to sleep.
The computer stay with the light up but it's frozen. I don't hear the HDD. It's simply still Doing nothing. But turned on.

I'm trying to install the last Ubuntu 10.10. The same problems happens with Kubuntu 10.10.

When this happened for the first time I tryied all the combinations of keys that I remember but nothing works. The computer simply froze.

I'm adding more information.

I tried to boot a Live CD with Linux Mint that uses also Ubuntu in the Core.

The same thing happens. It starts to boot without problem. The countdown to open the live desktop starts.

Then, when it should go to the Desktop, the monitor goes black and the computer freeze.
Nothing react.

Hello.

Sorry for taking so long but my faculty don't give me time.

I tried what was written on the article and yes, it worked.
The problem was really that.

Do you also need the picture? The non-working boot is just imagine a black screen.

Thank you for your help.
Abel Maio

Thanks delance, that solved my question.