I need some advice. I can boot Knoppix 5.1.0 from CD, but cannot boot Windows from HD. I would like to see if I can use a form of Linux like Fedora. I tried Fedora 14 and a Fedora minimal boot CD by download without success.But I cannot seem to load these to the harddrive or even boot off the Fedora CDs.

My computer is a Toshiba Satellite L25-S1216 bought Feb 2006. Has Intel Celeron Microporocessor 1.6 Ghz, memory total 512MB DDR2 SDRAM (it came with 256MB and i added an additional 256MB); Hard Disk Drive 40 GB. I think my architecture is i386.

More info: I had some bad viruses, so I wanted to reformat the harddrive using the factory supplied TOSHIBA Recovery and Applications/Drivers DVD with Windows XP on it and reinstall Windows XP.

The factory supplied TOSHIBA DVD seems to be working in the sense that it tells you it is formatting the drive, then it tells you it is copying the files on the DVD onto the Hard Drive. It copies about 5.6 GB to c[FAT32] (the harddrive) over about 10 min 40 sec.

So it seems that the DVD is doing what it says it will do: reformat the harddrive and install the factory image onto the harddrive.

But the next step in the sequence is remove the DVD and press any key to continue. It should then boot off the harddrive and take you through the next sequence. But it does not do this. You just get a blank screen with a flashing cursor. I have checked the BIOS to make sure it boots off the harddrive first, but nothing.`

The computer was able to boot off the harddrive before I started the recovery with the DVD, so it does not appear to be a hardware problem. The hardrive light is coming on and flickering too. I have used this recovery DVD once before and it worked. Wonder what is going on. Maybe corrupt files on the DVD?

I would like to see if I can use a form of Linux like Fedora. I tried Fedora 14 and a Fedora minimal boot CD by download without success.But I cannot seem to load these to the harddrive or boot of the CDs. The computer will boot off an old linux CD I have, Knoppix 5.1.0.

Any thoughts?

Maybe I should buy the Ultimate Windows Boot CD from amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Boot-...4288889&sr=1-1

Any thoughts?

Thank you,

B.

Did you get the Fedora iso images from the Fedora site?
After downloading, you need to verify the image usually by doing an md5checksum Instructions should be on the download page.
You should make sure you burn the iso as an image with whatever software you use and do it at the lowest speed available.
Make sure you have the CD drive set to first boot priority.
Can you tell us exactly what happens when you boot Fedora CD from the CD drive? Do you get any error messages?
Your xp is FAT32? Shouldn't it be ntfs? Never used xp so...?
You can do a free download of UBCD from here:

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/download.html

Yancek:

Thanks for your reply. When I try to boot from the Fedora CDs I downloaded, I can get into the Toshiba multiboot selection menu. I can choose to boot of the CD-RW/DVD drive first. But then I get nothing, just a blank screen with a flashing horizontal cursor (but you can't type any commands). This is the same thing I get when I try to boot off the harddrive.

I can see the files from the Toshiba Recovery DVD on the hardrive when Knoppix 5.1 is running. Regarding FAT32, that is automatic from the recovery DVD (I think) and I have no idea how to change it.

I think I did burn the Fedora CDs correctly, but I am inexperienced, I'll have to recheck that and try to verify with the md5checksum Instructions, etc. I am at the library now and will have to try this tomorrow. It seems like I should ba able it use soem form of Linux if I can use Knoppix 5.1.

Thanks for the site with the free download of UBCD, I'll have to try it. Do you think it is trustworthy (no viruses)?


B.

You have to test that cd on a few other systems. Personally, I'd suggest you reburn that iso at the slowest speed possible on some black cd's. They have been the best I have found. The cd may work great on other systems and never work on the laptop. They are sometimes that fickle.

Run Memtest also for a day. It can never hurt. Knoppix will allow you to at boot prompt. Just type in memtest and enter key.

I agree that Ultimate boot cd is a good tool and a good choice for testing and info tools. I believe it to be trustworthy but no one can fully predict it's safety. I have used many versions of it over years and years and with only a few exceptions of bug it worked. One was a goofy memtest bug that let be work on a good computer for a few days.

Jefro:

Thanks for your reply. Two questions: what is a black CD? What is memtest?

I want to modify some things about my system.i realized that I have 1.25 GB of RAM, Istarted out with 250MB and added a full 1 GB of RAM (SDRAM) later.

Thanks,

B

I got Fedora 14 working and Fedora 14 is loaded on my harddrive now and the computer boots from the harddrive. In fact I am at my own computer right now (not at the library anymore) as I write this reply; Thanks to everybody for their help!

I think I just didn't burn the Fedora 14 CD in the correct way. I assumed that since it was an .iso file it would burn as an image. In fact, I had to specifically burn it as an image.

I ran memtest (86 v 1.65) for 10 hours & 47 minutes (wall time), some results: Memory: 1150M, Cached 1150M, Rsvd Mem 257M, Test Std, Pass 9, Errors 0, ECC off, It looks like test was OK, but his may have only tested the DRAM, (since only 1150M) I'm not sure.

I still have no idea why my machine will not boot up Windows from the harddrive after the original TOSHIBA factory Recovery/Applications & Drivers DVD is used to erase the harddrive and is loaded onto the harddrive. I have used this Recovery/Applications & Drivers DVD before a few times and it worked.

Thanks to everybody for their help!

B.

You need to select burn as image with whatever software you use. At least, that has been my experience. Usually, it is best to burn at a slow speed and also do the md5 checksum, instructions are usually on the download page.

Not sure why your windows won't work. You could boot Fedora and open a terminal, log in as root and run the "fdisk -l" commmand (without quotes and lower case Letter L in the command). If you see an ntfs partition, windows is still there. Did you have a windows recovery partition on the hard drive to restore using the DVD?

Yancek,

Thanks for your reply. I will have to learn more about roots and partitions, etc., so that I feel comfortable with them. I can see Windows and the other files that were loaded onto the harddrive from the Recovery DVD now. All I have to do is click on the harddrive icon and sign in (as the root administrator I think it was) and you can see the files. Some examples of the files are listed under my initial below.

I want to try to check out the hard drive thoroughly with Seagate's SeaTools for DOS, but I can't get into it, because my mouse (touchpad) cursor arrow won't move and I can't click on the "I Agree" button on the license (EULA). Hopefully I'll figure out how to do it eventually.

Even if I get Windows to work, I inclined to keep using a Linux OS at least to some extent for a couple of reasons: (1) I like to try new things and Microsoft is too powerful as it is anyway, and (2) I've heard that Linux is less susceptible to viruses and may be more secure and stable.

Thanks,

B.


DOCS
Documents and Settings
MSOCache
Program Files
SYSPREP
TOSHIBA
WINDOWS
WORKSSETUP
AUTOEXEC.BAT
boot.ini
CONFIG.SYS
IO.SYS
IPH.PH
MSDOS.SYS
NTDETECT.COM
ntldr

For Seatools you can use keyboard shortcuts (underlined characters) to activate the options. In Fedora you can also install/run smartctl from within the OS - as with any software please research it further before running as there may be unforeseen consequences.

Other options are also available -H is just basic health check.

UBCD and UBCD for Windows are different, UBCD for Windows has a licensed WinPE environment (similar to having a light weight bootable Windows XP with far less features). UBCD is all free to use software (at last check) and is well maintained and kept up to date. I use it most every day for some test or another. Current version I use is 5.0.3.

There is a possibility that your computer had a virus in the boot sector (tdss rootkit will do this and is currently in the wild) and the Toshiba disk was not erasing this but installing Fedora either erased it or completely ignores the Windows only code (more research necessary).

Congratulations on moving to Linux and I hope it works out for you.

Thanks Spatzicclown and thanks to everybody for their help (see previous posts below). I went back and reread an online article about Seatools and realized that Seatools for Windows can test any manufacturer's hard drive, but Seatools for DOS tests only Seagate and Maxtor hard drives. My hard drive is a TOSHIBA. So I am wondering if I can get a free downloadable minimal version of Windows to use with Seatools or the Windows Ultimate Boot CD.

Unfortunately, as stated before, I am having problems installing Windows XP from the TOSHIBA Recovery and Applications/Drivers DVD that came with the computer. I have used this DVD before with success (about 1 year ago), so I am thinking I may have a subtle hard drive problem. (More details about this are under my name below, if you want them.) I called TOSHIBA and they said they'd send me a replacement TOSHIBA Windows XP Recovery and Applications/Drivers DVD for about $25.

QUESTION: Can I download a free (perhaps minimal version of Windows), enough to install on the computer and use Seatools for Windows to check out my hard drive? Or enough to install on the computer and use the Windows Ultimate Boot CD to check out my computer and/or hard drive?

Thanks,

B.

More details:

I used the Recovery and Applications/Drivers DVD that came with the computer to reformat the hard drive (because of viruses). I had done this once or twice before 1-3 years ago successfully. The computer reformats the hard drive and loads the Windows files onto the hard drive fine as far as I can see. But after doing this, the computer is supposed to restart and boot up from the hard drive and install Windows. It will not boot from the hard drive and install Windows for some reason.

But I was able to burn a Fedora 14 Live CD (as you know a form of Linux) at the library and install this on the computer and the computer will boot up from the hard drive in Fedora/Linux. In fact I am using the computer and Fedora 14 right now to write this email.

MS is all copyrighted. It is not free.

Black cd's. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-047-_-Product

Seatools for DOS does indeed test for bad drives on any manufacturer, however it will not remap bad sectors on non-Seagate and some Maxtor drives. I work in computer repairs and use Seatools almost exclusively as it has proven to me to detect failures that other software has not.

The standard UBCD also has other hard drive testing utilities.

From Toshiba there are also diagnostic tools available however they only specify Fujitsu drives. This should be able to run from a freeDOS floppy or bootable thumb drive.

Hope this helps.

Jefro and Spazticclown,

Thanks for your replies. I am thinking that I either have (1) some kind of subtle hard drive problem (that allows me to use Fedora 14, as I am doing right now) or (2) the data on the TOSHIBA Windows XP, Applications/Drivers Recovery DVD has been corrupted in some way.

I could order a new Recovery DVD from TOSHIBA (I think they'll send me one for $25), but I have no assurance that the Recovery DVD is the problem. Somebody suggested, for example, I might have a boot sector virus or some kind of master boot record (MBR) problem.

QUESTION: I cannot use Seatools for Windows (my Winows XP does not work), I cannot even use Seatools for DOS, because the mouse cursor arrow will not move and allow me to click "I Agree" on the license (EULA). I emailed Seagate about this and they said that Seatools for DOS only works for Seagate drives anyway. All that I can use is the ultimate boot cd (UBCD) for DOS.

What is the best programs I can use to in the UBCD to try to discover a hard drive problem?

I have an old version of Windows 95 with a Windows 98 upgrade. I could try loading those onto the computer to see if they work to try to test the hard drive further. Would Windows 95 & 98 work on a newer computer?

I emailed TOSHIBA to see if they have any downloadable software to test TOSHIBA brand drives (as mine is, not a Fujitsu).

Thanks for the info about black CDs.

Thanks,

B.

You should be able to run ultimate boot cd if you can get it to burn and run. It may be that you have a larger issue.

Thanks Jefro:

I have already been able to run the ultimate boot CD for DOS. I am asking: what are the best programs in the UBCD for DOS to check for hard drive problems, especially subtle hard drive problems that could account for my inability to get Windows XP to boot from the hard drive.

Thanks,

B.