Cannot boot from CD or external USB

[Thomas Blasejewicz]

(2014/08/21 18:19), Colin Law wrote:
> On 21 August 2014 09:29, Thomas Blasejewicz <thomas at s7.dion.ne.jp> wrote:
>> Good afternoon
>> I do have an old HP nx9005 laptop, used exclusively for "experimenting"
>> with Linux.
>> Currently: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (installed from CD)
>>
>> due to the limited hardware I would like to install Lubuntu 14.04
>> However:
>> * when the live CD is in the drive, the PC does not read it at startup
>> and boots "normally" from HDD
> Boot into the BIOS setup and somewhere in there you should find a Boot
> Order setting.  In there check that the CD is shown before the HDD.
> Alternatively one of the options shown on booting (in the BIOS startup
> screen) there may be an option to Select Boot Device or something
> similar which will allow you to select the CD for this boot without
> affecting the BIOS settings.
>
> Colin
Yes I know.
As far as I remember the order:
1)    CD drive
2)    external USB drive
3)    internal HDD
4)    LAN (?)
But I can move ONLY up and down through that list. The enter key does 
not work.
And pressing Esc leaves that menu without any changes.
So, at present I cannot change the boot order to USB drive first.

And since the enter key does NOT work, neither in the BIOS nor any other 
"setup menu", there is actually NOTHING that I can choose.
THAT is my problem.