Windows XP laptop won't boot to linux with USB[SOLVED!]

[Wrath123]

I am at a complete loss. Your computer is 64 bit capable, I verified that by looking up your CPU's stats.

I am pretty much out of ideas. At this point, I'd say to heck with it and try a 32 bit OS just as a lark. I really can't think of anything else. Is it possible that the USB ports are dead? I really have run out of ideas.

Hopefully someone will pop in with more knowledge than I have.

Same I am trying to find videos of my vostro 1000 and see if any have booted linux mint on there, but turns out there is none.The usb ports are fine, when i plug in my usb it lights up.Like i said previously my only option might be the booting from a DVD.Also one question will any cd disc do, for example like a movie disc or no?

 

[KGIII]

Same I am trying to find videos of my vostro 1000 and see if any have booted linux mint on there, but turns out there is none.The usb ports are fine, when i plug in my usb it lights up.Like i said previously my only option might be the booting from a DVD.Also one question will any cd disc do, for example like a movie disc or no?

Any optical media should work just fine. There are distros small enough to fit on a CD, if you only have blank CDs and no DVDs. Just remember to write it as a disk image and not to just copy the file(s) over. It has to be written as an image.

I'm baffled that it won't boot to USB - but you're not the first person who has been unable to boot to USB. As mentioned earlier, I had a laptop that refused to boot to USB no matter what I did. It had the option in the menu, but simply didn't work - even after updating the BIOS to the newest version. I even emailed Dell (I think) several times, but it was to no avail. They offered to let me return and exchange it, but I never did. I just used optical media. That was like a decade and a half ago, in that area. So, it was still straight BIOS, with no UEFI or anything.

You can always try some other distros. I'm currently playing with http://torios.top/ in a virtual machine and it's really fast - even though I'm currently using an older computer. It'd only recognize up to about 4 GB of RAM, as it's only available in 32 bit architecture.

 

[Wrath123]

Any optical media should work just fine. There are distros small enough to fit on a CD, if you only have blank CDs and no DVDs. Just remember to write it as a disk image and not to just copy the file(s) over. It has to be written as an image.

I'm baffled that it won't boot to USB - but you're not the first person who has been unable to boot to USB. As mentioned earlier, I had a laptop that refused to boot to USB no matter what I did. It had the option in the menu, but simply didn't work - even after updating the BIOS to the newest version. I even emailed Dell (I think) several times, but it was to no avail. They offered to let me return and exchange it, but I never did. I just used optical media. That was like a decade and a half ago, in that area. So, it was still straight BIOS, with no UEFI or anything.

You can always try some other distros. I'm currently playing with http://torios.top/ in a virtual machine and it's really fast - even though I'm currently using an older computer. It'd only recognize up to about 4 GB of RAM, as it's only available in 32 bit architecture.

Ah okay, yeah that sucks it wont boot from the usb, i might give torios a try, but first im going to try using this dvd and see. In the comment section on the imgur post i linked, this guy said to boot into window(same way ive been doing) and I came across this blue message screen, not sure if its important or not but ill link it here.Maybe it is a hard drive issue...

 

[KGIII]

I have no idea why you'd want to boot into Windows. The USB should boot immediately after the POST and boot device selection screen. You shouldn't even see Windows during this process.

Ubuntu used to have this thing called WUBI, that allowed installing alongside Windows - if wanted on the same partition even, but that was depreciated years ago.

 

[Wrath123]

I have no idea why you'd want to boot into Windows. The USB should boot immediately after the POST and boot device selection screen. You shouldn't even see Windows during this process.

Ubuntu used to have this thing called WUBI, that allowed installing alongside Windows - if wanted on the same partition even, but that was depreciated years ago.

well thats weird i still get an option to go back to windows which wont boot anyway.When I had my usb plugged in there was no difference in the boot sequence, still show the same thing.

 

[Deleted member 101831]

Most Windows XP computers that I've messed with won't always boot from a USB so create a bootable DVD as I mentioned in my earlier post #6 and make certain to write image to the DVD.

 

[Wrath123]

@KGIII Just bought a blank dvd disc and I am currently burning the iso onto the disc! Just a quick update.

 

[Wrath123]

I've never used Rufus so I have no idea about Rufus.
I suggest creating a bootable DVD using infrarecorder and write the iso image to the DVD not copy.

InfraRecorder

infrarecorder.org

even with this dvd+r i just got it still says operating system not found when i put the cd in the laptop. is this normal?
edit: used about 3 dvds just now since i burned 2 of the images with the basic windows burner, and tried Nelson method and now its not working.

 

[Deleted member 101831]

Did you write the iso image to the DVD or did you copy the iso image to the DVD.

 

[Wrath123]

Did you write the iso image to the DVD or did you copy the iso image to the DVD.

I clicked the Write Image option and selected the iso, clicked open,left everything the way it is in the box,and clicked ok, no error occurred when writing the image.

 

[Deleted member 101831]

Did you set your first boot device to CD / DVD in the bios so that the computer boots from the DVD.

 

[Wrath123]

Did you set your first boot device to CD / DVD in the bios so that the computer boots from the DVD.

Yes I did its at the top of the list, i also disabled everything but CD/DVD.Do you want me to take a picture of my bios settings?

 

[KGIII]

used about 3 dvds

I realize this isn't helpful, but that's comforting. With your use of a singular 'a' DVD, I was really quite curious about how you managed to buy just one blank DVD.

At this point, I've exhausted any ideas I may have. All I've got left is well-wishing. It's bizarre that it won't even boot to optical media.

 

[Deleted member 101831]

The only thing I can suggest is to try the created DVD in a different computer and make certain that it is bootable.

I seen some old Windows XP computers that wouldn't boot from a USB thumb drive but never seen one that wouldn't boot from a CD / DVD drive providing the CD / DVD drive is working.

Are you sure the drive is a drive that can read a DVD.

 

[Wrath123]

The only thing I can suggest is to try the created DVD in a different computer and make certain that it is bootable.

I seen some old Windows XP computers that wouldn't boot from a USB thumb drive but never seen one that wouldn't boot from a CD / DVD drive providing the CD / DVD drive is working.

Are you sure the drive is a drive that can read a DVD.

Yes my drive can read a DVD it is dvdrw DU8A6SH.

 

[Deleted member 101831]

The only thing I can suggest is to try the created DVD in a different computer and make certain that it is bootable.

If it boots in a different computer then possibly something wrong with the old laptop computer.

 

[Wrath123]

The only thing I can suggest is to try the created DVD in a different computer and make certain that it is bootable.

If it boots in a different computer then possibly something wrong with the old laptop computer.

alright ll try this tomorrow and see if this works if not then I might take apart the computer and see whats going on with the hard drive

 

[Wrath123]

I realize this isn't helpful, but that's comforting. With your use of a singular 'a' DVD, I was really quite curious about how you managed to buy just one blank DVD.

At this point, I've exhausted any ideas I may have. All I've got left is well-wishing. It's bizarre that it won't even boot to optical media.

Ah yes this computer is driving all of insane, thank god I didn't buy a single DVD that would have been hard especially when i just found out you cant make a DVD R blank again,but no worries KG we all tried in this thread, i really appreciate the help everyone.

 

[Deleted member 101831]

alright ll try this tomorrow and see if this works if not then I might take apart the computer and see whats going on with the hard drive

I don't think the hard drive would be the problem since it fails to boot from the DVD.


Don't give up and yes it can be frustrating sometimes.

My first attempt at trying Linux totally made me mad as hell.

Keep trying and you'll make it happen with that computer or another one.

 

[wizardfromoz]

Ubuntu used to have this thing called WUBI, that allowed installing alongside Windows - if wanted on the same partition even, but that was depreciated years ago.

I am still playing catchup on this Thread, more to read yet, but WUBI was superceded with WUBI UEFI

https://github.com/hakuna-m/wubiuefi/wiki

Current at least with Ubuntu 20.04.1

Cheers

Wiz