HELP! Just started using Linux Mint!

[yoshisaur]

Hey guys, I have been using Fedora 7 Linux for the past few weeks. But I was having trouble playing DVD's and mp3's that I asked if they knew of a more newbie friendly version. Many of them recommended I try Linux Mint so that is why I switched over here. Anyway I need some help in the following issues:
Note: I am running Cassandra Gnome on a Toshiba Satellite laptop. As soon as I started I all installed the updated packages.

1.) Whenever I start my machine, I get the message "MP-BIOS bug 8254 timer not connected to APIC"

2.) When I use Mozilla Firefox, I set it up to open new windows in a new tab, instead Firefox opens the page into a new window. Also, I have had a bug where everything locks up and I am forced to shut off the computer manually (which I do not think is a good idea.)

3.) Playing DVD's is installed out-of-the-box, which is a major reason why I switched over to Linux Mint in the first place. I tried to use my Spiderman 2 DVD and it worked! However, when I put in a movie made by a friend, Dave Messina: The Real Deal, the system would not respond at all. It would not even recognize that there was a disc inside! The details of the movie was that it was a standard movie (as in it works inside a stand-alone DVD player) but it is recorded on a DVD-R.

That is all the issues I have found so far, any help would be gladly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

[Boo]

welcome to mint.

1. things to try: check for an update for you bios. check what happens when you boot from the original kernel, or does the message appear before the grub screen. there are options at boot you can use like irqpoll or acpi=no.

2. check your firefox preferences, or you could reinstall firefox via synaptic.

3. not my area.

[scorp123]

the system would not respond at all. It would not even recognize that there was a disc inside! ... it is recorded on a DVD-R.

It's possible that your drive doesn't recognise that disk type ... or maybe it has troubles with that brand? Some disk brands sometimes won't work in certain drive brands, regardless of what the vendors claim. Ask your friend to record to another disk type and another brand and then try again.

[yoshisaur]

How do I update my bios?

[Boo]

you have to go to the motherboard manufactures website, find your motherboard and look in the support area for updated bios.

if there is an updated bios there will be instructions with it on how to update the bios.

at boot the bios revision number will be displayed quickly.
If you go into the bios it will have its revision number listed there.
you need the revision number to check against the websites latest version.

[yoshisaur]

How do I know what motherboard my system uses?
Also my Linux Mint has this awful bug where the entire operating system locks up. Has anyone had this problem? I will be in the middle of work, and everything will stop. I use to think it was just a problem with Firefox but it is not. It screws up if I have terminal open, or text editor or whatever.

[yoshisaur]

Also does anyone know how to put a garbage can on the desktop? I have been able to do it with the top panel, but not the desktop.

[linuxviolin]

Use mintDesktop. It is installed by default. With it you can "show computer/home/documents/trash/volumes/network icons on the desktop" (Clem at http://www.linuxmint.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=540)

[Husse]

Updating (flashing) BIOS is the most hazardous thing you can do with your computer. I think you should let a friend that knows more about computers help you (and I mean knows - not claims to know )