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Old 07-03-2007, 04:15 AM   #1
jabos
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Ripped off?


I recently purchased a boxed version of
Linspire 5-O and no matter what i attempted i couldn't get it to run as a live cd or install to my hard drive. Who do you contact to complain? I really do feel as though i have been ripped off. Good money down the drain. Never again!
 
Old 07-03-2007, 06:49 AM   #2
camorri
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I can't tell you who to complain to. Have you been to the Linspire web site? Have you registered and asked for help? Here is their policy. Notice you have support for 90 days.

Quote:
Linspire Support Policy

Linspire provides a variety of support options for our products and services. If you bought software directly from our web site (including Linspire.com or CNR.com) you are eligible for technical support for a period of ninety (90) days from your date of purchase. If you bought a computer that came preinstalled with Linspire please refer to the documentation that came with your computer or contact the system manufacturer. Linspire, Inc. does not manufacture or sell computer hardware. If you have not purchased anything directly from Linspire, Inc. then you are eligible for free community-based support.
If you did not buy the support option, and want help here, you will need to post much more information. Include as much hardware information as possible. Include the type of failure you get, both for install and live CD.

Have you tried any of the free live CD's? Look on this board for information under Distro reviews for more information.

You might want to take a look at the latest release of Knoppix. It has very good hardware recognition, and is well supported through its web site.
 
Old 07-03-2007, 07:31 AM   #3
pixellany
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Please tell us what exactly happens when you try to boot from the CD. For example, is your BIOS set to boot from CD? Can you try the CD in another computer? Will the computer boot from other CDs?
 
Old 07-07-2007, 07:26 AM   #4
jabos
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Hi folks
I purchased a boxed version of Linspire to install and overwrite Windows Vista Home Basic. The problem is whenever i try to run Linspire as either a 'live cd' or to install to the hard drive a Linspire screen appears with a progress bar and that's it! The next thing i know is a message appears which informs that: Fatal: CD search failed. Type "exit" to reboot. The BIOS was set to boot from cd.
 
Old 07-07-2007, 07:46 AM   #5
pixellany
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You have not answered most of the questions we asked after your first post.....We can't help much if you don't give the info we request.....
One that was NOT asked: Have to talked to the people you bought it from?
 
Old 07-07-2007, 09:05 AM   #6
camorri
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Did you make room on the hard drive to install Linspire? By that I mean, delete the windoze partition? Any distro I have delt with requires free disk space to install to. That means it is not part of any partition, not just free space on a windoze partition. Linux does not read and write NTFS with out installing a peice of code. It is experimental at best. ( Not recommended ).

To boot to a Live environment, did you select the option from a boot screen? Or did you put the CD in and just try to boot it?

Please post error information, without it we can not help much. We can not see your machine, we only know what you tell us.

We are happy to help, but we need your eyes and ears too.
 
Old 07-08-2007, 03:42 AM   #7
jabos
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I had already set the computer to boot from cd in the BIOS. I then put the cd into the drive and was presented with two options.

1) To run live cd.
2) To install on the hard drive.

I have selected each option on different occasions in an attempt to get Linspire up and running without success but always with the same error message: FATAL: CD search failed. Type "exit" to reboot. Hope you may be able to help.
Thanks
 
Old 07-08-2007, 09:12 AM   #8
camorri
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That sounds like your hardware is not able to read the CD. There are several reasons I can think of.

The CD could be bad. To try and see if the CD is readable, boot your windoze system and see if you can browser the files on the CD with windoze explorer. If you can see the files and directories, the the CD is probably O.K. You could also try booting it on another machine as a live CD. If it boots elsewhere, the CD is O.K.

Some CD drive may not be working. Can you read files in windoze?

Some drives will not work until you load a driver. That would take a little research to find out if you have one of those drives. Usually you need to create a boot diskette, load the driver, and then boot from the CD drive. Sounds messy, it is if you have a CD drive that won't boot but otherwise works.

Is this an IDE drive, or is it USB connected? Could you post the make and model information. You can find it in windoze...
 
Old 07-08-2007, 09:32 AM   #9
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Hello camorri
I have two computers. One running Mandriva Spring and the other running Windows Vista. Both the computers have SATA Hard-drives and i have had the same error message when i have attempted to run as live cd or install Linspire to hard drive on them both. When i have tried to run or install the Linspire cd the computers freezes up completely and the only option i have left is to cut the power at the mains and turn off the computer. I then re-connect the power and remove the Linspire cd and let the computer boot up with the default OS and everything is then fine. I hope the info i have given prooves useful. Thanks
 
Old 07-08-2007, 11:48 AM   #10
pixellany
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Repeating my previous question: Have you talked to the people that you bought this from?

From your post above, it seems possible the CD is defective.
 
Old 07-08-2007, 01:35 PM   #11
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Yes i have tried to contact Linspire Inc and still waiting for reply.
 
Old 07-09-2007, 09:23 AM   #12
jabos
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Linspire and partitions

Have had a reply from Linspire Inc and it appears that in order to install Linspire on my computer i would need to create a separate partition and i would need to create this manually before installingLinspire. Also, it is recommended i create a FAT32 partition (more than 4GB).

Plus i was informed to remove all partitions in the hard disk or create a single FAT32 partition and do a "takeover" installation.

Would someone like to explain how i go about creating a FAT32 partition please. Thanks
 
Old 07-09-2007, 10:14 AM   #13
pixellany
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First, what they are telling you does not relate to the problem you have reported. You have said that you cannot boot the CD. This has nothing to do with the partitions on the hard drive. You may have encountered someone working from a "script tree" or, worse yet, a robot. Try to get to real person and explain that the CD will not boot (on more than one machine) If they repeat the thing about partitioning, ask them how that is relevant.

You can use tools such as GParted (comes on a bootable CD) or QTParted (comes with many "live CD" Linux versions).
 
Old 07-10-2007, 10:01 AM   #14
jabos
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Have just had a reply from Linspire Inc and they stated that the version of Linspire Five-0 i purchased does not support installation on a SATA hard drive. At no time what-so-ever was i made aware of this prior to and/or after purchase. I do honestly feel ripped off! They go on to say that the newer version of Linspire Five-0: Linspire Five-0 v2 [5.1.427] does support installation on a SATA hard drive. Thanks a bunch!!
 
  


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