Cannot find boot record on CDrom?

M$ISBS · 12-14-2008, 05:16 PM

Trying to install Slack 12.1. I set the bios to boot from the cdrom but I get this message, "Cannot find boot record on cdrom"

I burned an image of slack to cd`s and the computer I am trying to install to currently has XP, I want to format the drives and install slack.
Is this a message from the bios or from windows?

Simon Bridge · 12-14-2008, 06:42 PM

Um - last I saw that, it was due to a virus. It corrupted the CD when it was being burned and is probably in the boot-sectors of your windows install. Update your scanner and clean out your HDD. However - it may not be.

The message is from BIOS - it means that the CD boot info is corrupted somehow or the inserted media is not bootable media. After displaying that message, it should attempt to boot from the HDD.

Use someone elses computer to burn the image - though reburning at a lower speed may be fine.

malaprop · 12-14-2008, 06:57 PM

I've also seen that happen with just a bad burn. Re-burn at a slower speed and see if it helps.

M$ISBS · 12-14-2008, 07:44 PM

I am supposed to burn the ISO to the CD as an image right?

Then boot with cdrom and it should start up as I have done before.

Is there any special type of setting to make the CD boot or something else that I may have left out?

I left the default burn parameter as Linux/Windows file system in K3B.

I burned a windows zip file to a disk so I could update the bios, but windows does not see the file on the disk.

It will boot into XP when I set the bios to boot from the HD.

Simon Bridge · 12-14-2008, 08:25 PM

You need to set the burn speed very low - 4x
Could it be that the read-head on the CD drive is dirty or broken?

gilead · 12-14-2008, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M$ISBS

Trying to install Slack 12.1. I set the bios to boot from the cdrom but I get this message, "Cannot find boot record on cdrom"

If you're seeing that message I'd say you're BIOS is trying to read the boot record, so it's set correctly. It sounds more like a problem with the burn for whatever reason as Simon Bridge and malaprop have pointed out. I use the following to burn images manually at 2 x speed and eject the disk:

Code:

/usr/bin/cdrecord dev=/dev/sr0 speed=2 padsize=63s -pad -dao -v -eject /tmp/cd-contents.iso

M$ISBS · 12-17-2008, 07:11 PM

Something that is not making sense is that I have the retail slack 11

disks I used to install a while ago on another machine, They work fine,

but when I try them in the computer I am trying to install 12.1 on, I still

get the same message.

This makes me think that its not the disks but the bios??

Could this bios be too old or not compatible with Linux somehow?

:?
:?

Simon Bridge · 12-18-2008, 04:31 AM

OR - the read heads on the OptDD are bad/dirty.
Re-flashing the BIOS wont hurt.