Cannot boot from CD or external USB

[Thomas Blasejewicz]

(2014/08/27 4:34), Colin Law wrote:
> On 26 August 2014 12:03, Thomas Blasejewicz <thomas at s7.dion.ne.jp> wrote:
>> Old Windows CDs do not work either.
>
> You have not responded (unless I missed it) to my suggestion to try
> the option from the BIOS startup screen that will let you choose where
> to boot from for this boot only.  That should let you specifically
> request to boot from CD.  On mine it says "Press F11 for boot menu"
> (YMMV),  Then it gives me a list of devices to choose from.
>
> Colin
>
Sorry, I did not notice your last post. Maybe it disappeared as spam 
somewhere.
Short update.
As far as I tired .. F9 - 12 do basically all the same= call up that GNU 
Grub menu,
which does what I described earlier.

BUT, I was almost completely happy yesterday.
I found something called BCDL 
(http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1804),
made a floppy (thank God this was on WIndows, since reading a floppy 
under Linux is an ordeal! After years of trying I still do not succeed)
*    Put that FD into the FDD, the Lubuntu CD into the CDD + started the 
computer.
*    The FD started, I hit once enter and next thing the live CD booted.
*    I DID install Lubuntu from that CD,
*    After finishing installation the computer asks about updating 
software. Did that.
*    Computer asks to reboot.
*    Tried that, but it stuck somewhere and did NOT reboot. After trying 
everything else I can think of, I switched off the power and on again.
*    At a black opening screen a number of lines with error messages 
flashed (too fast to make notes) then the computer booted with Lubuntu 
"normally".
*    Everything looks just fine ... except ->
*    Every time I try to reboot or shutdown, this process stops in the 
middle and the computer just hangs there. no response at all.
*    I tried to REPEAT the installation
*    But now the screen says "cannot boot from CD".

**    Since the liveCD did boot once, I would like to think that the 
hardware (CDD) is not broken
**    I made another, slightly different FD and will try this tomorrow
**    If that does not work, then I am about to give up.