Hi
i am really keen to use linux on my pc but for some unknown reason it refuses to boot from cd i have bought included with dec 2008 edition of computer active magazine.i have followed everything to the letter on installation.i can run from cd using virtual box but cannot install inside Xp windows or alongside xp on drive (C) or extra hdd (D) my pc is amd sempron 2200+ 1.51ghz 1gb ram & sp3 installed,i have also tried this with another pc with exactly the same results, i have downloaded new cd , and burned iso image to cd at lowest speed ,same results.what happens is that it boots from cd with the orange bar until i presume ready to display install interface to set up which drive etc but at that point it stops before showing install interface and screen is blank all but a curser flashing top left of screen and that is as far as i get.after loading 50 times + i am now loosing a little interest in linux.could it be wrong version i am using ? the only thing in common with both pc's is me & i the fact i have norton 2009 installed,but i have tried to boot with norton disabled but you have guessed it,no result ,can anyone help please before i go completely insane.many thanks from newbie arkrite16 .

Since it's a live CD version, chances are it'll not take kindly to 'virtual box' installation. Have you tried just rebooting your Windows system, and booting directly from the CD????

Linux probably won't have any issues with your hardware...but since you've added Windows into it, that's probably where the difficulty lies. Live CD's are meant to be run directly from CD.

Hi
thanks for reply ,that's the thing it works fine from cd using virtualbox, but will not fully boot from cd on start up,it gets to point where the orange progress bar is complete just when you think it is going to move on to the next stage (setup) it stops with blank screen only displaying flashing cursor,i have to just switch pc of as cannot go any further not even to remove cd. the magazine states that it will boot from cd on start up and should be straight forward .when inserting cd into pc when running you have 3 options to install in or alongside windows dual boot ,or run via virtualbox .maybe someone else has had same problem ? thanks again very grateful for your help regards arkrite16.

I think that you dont understand what TBOne has told you.You need to enter into your BIOS upon start up of your pc and you do that by pressing F2 or F10 or similar key,you should see the options while your computer boots.After that choose to boot from CD/DVD,of course there must be Ubuntu's cd in the drive.So load Windos put Ubuntu cd in the drive and reboot,then do as I said.

Hi
yes i do understand,i have booted up with cd in drive & selected in my case f11 boot menue,and selected cd /dvd drive containing linux then it loads cd into system giving a menue of run from cd install i choose install select language and away we go so you think as i explained before that is the stage that it stops when it has completed the progress bar stage then it goes blank so itake it i am doing this correctly? thanks arkrite16

I'm really having hard time trying to understand you.So,now you're saying that Ubuntu has finished with the installation and then it goes blank with the blinking - in the left corner,is this correct?But,wait,how could Ubuntu "finish with the progress bar" if you only selected language and you haven't set up any partitions or whatever?Please run live cd and post if you see Ubuntu desktop.

Hi
again thanks everyone for suggestions,i have actually found the answer,the last thing i suspected,was actually the culprit. i came very close to giving up installing ubuntu when i by chance moved pc and disturbed vga plug which is not at the moment screwed to socket due to swapping items around .i then i inadvertently plugged back in to onboard graphics card in error and since then cd carries on through installation process to it's own hdd ,and xp on other without any problem at all.i am now a proud user of linux.the graphics card is now reconnected and has given no problem yet, i also have the same card in other pc which i tried to install on hence same problem.the card i have is a nvidia 4000GT PCI card. ther is obviously a clash of some kind .i hope this is of help to someone else which may have the same nightmare i have had .I am now exploring ubuntu and learning i maybe back so be prepared !!! .many thanks from a very please and newbie . arkrite16 .