jokop

hello I want to install linux on my computer (win98,HDD-6GB,pentium3)but it seems my CD-ROM is not functioning so I now moved the 6GB-HDD from that computer to my new computer and fomatted it. how can I install linux (mandrake I presume) on the 6GB-HDD from my new computer s.t. when I'll move the HD back to the original computer it would be the default OS in that computer? thanks jokop

thanks very much oh is there a program (wich I can save on a floppy) which boots my computer and checks weather my CD_ROM is ok? I want a last check before I buy a new CD-ROM because ,allthough I can not boot from the CD-ROM ,Im not sure the CD-ROM is TOTALLY defected.)

hey! thx again for the quick reply!!! Originally posted by danleff: Quote: First of all, I would not attempt to install Linux on a computer that is not yours. It belons to an organization? If you install Linux (not a live cd version) then it will want to over-write the bootloader. If you are the only one using the system and don't care if you accidently trash something, then i guess it's OK, if you have permission to do so. Otherwise, you will confuse other users when they boot the system. well, the computer (was before:win98-pent3) belongs to a company but I and my dad r the only ppl who use it. the computer is borrowed to my dad for "work" from the company. but since Ive ruined the win98 OS Ive decided to install linux on the 6GB-HDD it has.I moved the 6GB-HDD of the old computer to our new computer (which also belongs to the company) and erased the entire 6GB-HDD!!! Quote: The question is, does the cdrom read disks fine? If so, you probably did not burn the iso as an image. Open at the cd that you burned in Windows. Do you see just one iso file, or a bunch of directories and files? Finally, are you sure the bios is set to boot from cdrom? Some organizations have their systems set up so this is not so, just for the reason of preventing people from installing another OS in the system. I did set the bios to first boot from CD-ROM and the fact that the yellow light of CD-ROM flashes for a miniute or so before it gave up and booted from HDD indeed indicated that it tried to read my CD-ROM. also there was nothing wrong with my cd cause I tried several cd's like live cd-knoppix and my restore cd of win 98 and both didnt boot from cd-rom however the same live-cd knoppix booted fine my new computer (pentium 4-winxp) so I guess the cd-rom is defected in some way or at least lost the ability to boot from. oh,by the way, you mentiond before ,i think, that the installation of OS varries largly from one computer to another depending on the hardware of a computer. however,it accoured to me that if there is a non live-cd version (HDD-installed-OS) of some live-cd OS then this HDD-installed-OS does not varry at all from one computer to another because a live-cd is independent of a hardware. but I guess live-cd OS are very basic OS. any way thanks [Edited by jokop on 2005-02-21 18:01:27]

hey!! thx both BSchindler and danleff well Im not sure if my CDROM itself is defective. cause when I tried to put all sorts of bootable cd-rom-disks like linux-os (burned to discs) or a restore disk for my old OS(win 98) non had booted allthough my bios was set to boot first from CDROM. also' when I booted from floppy (a command prompt) I couldnt refer to my CDROM. I tried all the lables A to Z. so I guess my cdrom is indeed defective. so the only realistic solution I understand is to buy a new cdrom the problem is this computer is not my computer it belongs to some orfanisation so I tried to avoid any money-investment in this computer. any way thx very much for the help