bootable white box cd freezes keyboard

From: Andrew G (andrew.gallagher_at_gems1.gov.bc.ca)
Date: 01/05/04

  • Next message: Ed Skinner: "Re: CD Label Software" 
    Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 10:13:00 -0800

    I installed whitebox 3.0 from a set of 3 bootable cdroms onto a 5Gb drive
    without problems.
    The machine booted from the hard disk several times, without problems and I
    used linux to do stuff (surf, read docs, ...).
    Then I tried to add my windows xp 60Gb drive as a secondary drive and
    configure it in grub.conf.
    Added:
    title Windows XP
    root (hd1,0)
    chainloader +1

    When I rebooted, I selected linux and had no problems.
    Then I rebooted again and chose XP.
    Didn't work and I got an error message "missing io.sys".

    Disconnected XP disk and tried to boot linux hard disk again. Now I only
    get a text version of grub when I boot.

    Tried to boot off the cdrom. The numlock light goes out while the linux
    boot up messages are flashing by. A chunky graphical interface appears,
    asking you whether you want to test the cd media. At this point, the
    keyboard doesn't work. I had to pull the power cord to get the machine to
    turn off.

    Checked all the cables, including the cdrom cables. Try again to boot from
    the cd - same result.

    Disconnected the linux hard disk and connected the XP disk as the only
    drive. Booted XP from that drive without any problems. Rebooted and
    checked the bios, no problems I can see.
    Tried to boot from the linux cd, same keyboard-frozen-problem when the cd
    media check screen is presented.

    Downloaded a later version of the bios from dell and flashed the bios as per
    instructions. Didn't help. Downloaded the dell diagnostics and ran them
    from the 4 floppies as per instructions, no problems detected. Burned a new
    copy of the 1st cdrom. Didn't help.

    The "abcd" trouble lights on the back of the computer show the ports as
    checking out fine.

    Other things to try: booting from cd with NO hard drives attached, booting
    from some other bootable cdrom (e.g. xp).

    Any suggestions would be appreciated.

  • Next message: Ed Skinner: "Re: CD Label Software"

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