Toshiba Satellite A105 won't boot from USB or DVD
 

Per the advice I've been given, I want to try running various versions of Linux (mint & Puppy) from USB or DVD-R, but the old laptop I'm trying to resurrect refuses to boot from either device, even though I have gone into BIOS and changed the boot order each time I try. I don't want to try to partition the drive (I'm too new for that) and I don't want to just wipe Windows off the drive and load something I haven't demo'd in the laptop.

Advice???

How are you trying to install the OS to the USB? Have you been using a program like Unetbootin? Are you trying to boot a 64 bit OS on a 32 bit machine?

I've downloaded versions for a 32 bit computer and I've both used unetbootin (with Mint)and directly downloaded from a website (both Mint and Puppy Slacko). Neither works. The only time I got a reaction from the machine was when I had inadvertently left a Mint disk and added a Puppy USB, changed the boot order to USB first. Then the machine refused to boot but just hung. Every other time, it had booted with XP.

It's like gum on the sole of my shoe, the way this computer cheerily rejects Linux no matter what I do!

Actually I have another question about Unetbootin. When I try to load it to a DVD, it gives me the option of "flash drive" or "hard disk". When I select flash drive, I get an error message saying that the computer doesn't read a flash drive and the whole thing stops. The "hard disk" option would load it to the C drive of my computer, which I don't want either (I'm using a second, faster computer for all this downloading), so the only Unetbootin-downloaded file I have is on a flash drive, which boots fine on the computer I don't want to modify but is ignored by the Toshiba.

How do I use Unetbootin on a DVD-R?

An ISO distribution installation file will/should have the bootloader already included. All you need to do to is select burn to image in your disk writing application. Unetbootin is not intended for DVDs or CDs.

Okay, that explains the unetbootin issue.

I've read that older Toshibas, the ones that came out just before Vista (which is mine) often don't like to boot from usb's and seem to prefer CD's/DVD's. So I'm back to the beginning. The dratted machine won't boot.

Am I missing a command I should be giving it?

How are you burning the CDs or DVDs? XP does not include any software to burn ISO images to disk so you need to download a free one like isoburner. If you are using ISO burning software make sure youaAre you selecting "burn as image"?.

You can look at the contents of the disk and if all you see is one file i.e. xxx.iso then you did not burn it correctly. If you extracted the files first then burned the disk the boot loader will be missing.

I'm using my primary computer, an HP loaded with Windows 7 to create the DVD, so I do get multiple files.

So in theory it should be bootable. Have you tried booting the disk on your Win 7 PC?

I've just tried and it won't boot on the Win 7 PC. I'm beginning to wonder if there's something wrong with the downloads. The USB that downloaded before I made at work on a T-1 line. All the rest, I downloaded at home on a much slower bandwidth. I've already ordered a Linux for Dummies book with disk. I think I'll wait until I get that and give it a try.

A friend of mine had a Toshiba Satellite laptop (Came with Windows Vista) and we took it apart because every time we installed ( Linux Mint, Debian, Crunchbang or any other distro for that matter) all we saw was a black screen or a flashing cursor:-

We took the laptop apart and cleaned the heat sink. The fan was pretty nasty so he replaced that too.

After we re essembled the laptop I tried installing Linux Mint Debian, Crunchbang and Voyager 12.04, the only distro I could get to run on that laptop was Puppy Linux-
Voyager 12.04 would boot and the system would remain up for about 10 seconds and than the DE would repeatedly 'lock up'

We also tried wiping the HDD that didn't work. My friend even purchased a brand new HDD and still the same results.
He purchased brand new RAM and that made no difference either.

Till this day I still don't know what was wrong with that laptop but if I had to guess I think the graphics card may have been on it's way out. Aside from that I found a few articles were folks were complaining that some of the Toshiba's are notorious for overheating-

My friend thinks that the Windows update he allowed wrecked the microcode. BTW the laptop was fine before the update.

http://s1052.photobucket.com/user/Ul..._0205.jpg.html
http://s1052.photobucket.com/user/Ul...ml?sort=3&o=33
http://s1052.photobucket.com/user/Ul...ml?sort=3&o=30

Shame you don't have a distro installed alongside your Win's 7 OS because you could use it to verify the integrity of the iso image before you proceed.

I know you said that you don't want to partition the drive but that's one way.
You could dual boot the Win's OS that's one that Toshiba and Linux.
Not sure what the name of the application is to shrink Windows Vista; sorry-
Using the application "G-parted" is how you would create 2 partitions for you Linux install.
I'll help you if your interested-

Are you sure the DVD drive in the Toshiba is good?

I have two Toshiba Satellites from the same period 2005/6 and they are perfect for Linux EXCEPT the CD/DVD drives in both failed after a couple of years (neither drive was used much). They both will still read commercially produced DVDs like movies, but neither will read a CD-R or DVD-R.

Can you verify that the drive is actually able to read the discs.

When I have had to repartition or re-install I do so via PXE boot, running PXE server from another box on my LAN.

CD reader is fine
 

I just loaded a Word file onto a DVR in one computer and read it in the Toshiba. It reconfigured itself to read Win-7 and read it just fine.

Ok, sounds like the drive works. It was just a thought.

So if you put one of those GNU/Linux install discs in the drive while in the other OS, can you find it, see the files and navigate it like any other data disc?

It behaves exactly like any other disc. The reader is working fine. I still think that there's something wrong with the downloads since I haven't been able to run them in either computer. I'm going to wait until I have a disc from another source and try again.