Can't Get DVD's to Start

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happydog500
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Can't Get DVD's to Start

Post by happydog500 »

I have a Lenovo Laptop (about 10 years old), I had Linux installed on it before, but have used Windows for several years. I wanted to run Linux again and tride the new version.

When I put the discs in, set it to DVD Rom Drive as the first start up, the discs don't start up (xfce and Mate). I tried my old Mint 17.3 and 18.2 discs that worked before, but even they don't start up. I see the Rom drive light, lights up once and never comes on again. When I open the drive, the disc is spinning.

Not much in the BIOS to change. I'm using an SSD set to AHCI.

Why doesn't Discs start up? Are they not live CDs?

Thank you for any help. I'm anxious to get back into Linux.
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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rene
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Re: Can't Get DVD's to Start

Post by rene »

It's likely a simple matter of a dirty lens. I assume that those burned DVDs also don't show up when you simply insert them while in Windows? Cleaning the lens is easy on a laptop DVD drive; make sure to use very soft cloth and possibly some e.g. windex (nothing heavier). Lens is easily identified as that little transparent plastic dome near the hub.
happydog500
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Re: Can't Get DVD's to Start

Post by happydog500 »

I cleaned the drive. When I put in the disc in windows it starts up and shows what's on the disc. When I restart it doesn't start up.

Thank you for the reply,
C
rene
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Re: Can't Get DVD's to Start

Post by rene »

OK, needed to be ruled out first. Yes, the Mint .iso images are bootable. You said also your old ones did not work any more so this might also not be it but did you burn the .iso to the DVD-R(W) "as an image" or whatever the formulation is in whatever you used for the burning? Did you checksum the burn? I suppose the 10 year old system is legacy only, no UEFI? (although the Mint .iso should boot in either mode). Not a USB-stick around to forego many possible issues with the DVD and/or drive? https://linuxmint-installation-guide.re ... /burn.html for instructions...
happydog500
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Re: Can't Get DVD's to Start

Post by happydog500 »

Thank you for the reply,

Did burn as image. Checked the disc. Legacy bios. Have 12 USB's laying around, all full. My drive works good but may be good to try usb to rule out the drive. Still think some bios setting is preventing it.

I'll copy one to my computer then try the install with USB and post back.

C
happydog500
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Re: Can't Get DVD's to Start

Post by happydog500 »

Nope, didn't work. Using the USB was pretty cool. I did it years a go and didn't like it wrecked my USB drive (I thought you could format it later and use it again).

After a blink light at first, the USB drive never even showed activity.

What happens with both the USB and the DVD is the screen is blank (black), but it kind of shows that it's on, not like if I shut off the computer. With both the DVD and USB doesn't have any activity. The DVD light lights once and it never blinks and the computer goes idle.

Thank you,
C.
rene
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Re: Can't Get DVD's to Start

Post by rene »

You can simply format the USB-stick again -- although Microsoft of course again does its damnedest to make it hard so as to keep the fear, uncertainty and doubt up. But even in Windows "manual" use of DISKPART works to empty the stick and certainly any other OS has no issue e.g. simply blanking the stick's partition table.

What is a bit unfortunate is that I seem to have little further suggestion. There is very little that can be wrong on a legacy system as to booting if said wrong thing happens both with DVD and USB other of course than you simply not booting from the stick/dvd. All I can think of is telling you to use your BIOS boot-device menu, often available from F11 or F12 while booting, rather than just setting boot-order in the BIOS setup itself, if that is what you are doing now.

32-bit vs. 64-bit will not feature on a 10-year old Lenovo (i.e., it'll be 64-bit) and frankly, not much else would. You'd post and/or google around with more detailed hardware specs to have a supposed chance to see what's up: I have no idea.
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AndyMH
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Re: Can't Get DVD's to Start

Post by AndyMH »

T430 user here, what lenovo laptop model?

Assume you are hitting F12 on boot to get the boot list and selecting the DVD to boot from? Internal or external DVD drive?

What did you use to burn the iso to the DVD?
Thinkcentre M720Q - LM21.3 cinnamon, 4 x T430 - LM21.3 cinnamon, Homebrew desktop i5-8400+GTX1080 Cinnamon 19.0
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Joe2Shoe
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Re: Can't Get DVD's to Start

Post by Joe2Shoe »

If the current DVD drive doesn't read or allow you to access or run any files on the DVD disk, I would try another DVD drive, as they do go "bad". I have had many issues with DVD drives through my 45 years working on PCs, and the only "fix" was replacing the DVD drives. Cleaning the lens helps, sometimes.
Use a LM Live USB flash drive, boot up with it, then try the DVD drive.
Also, DVD disks do go "bad" over time. Nothing lasts forever.
Good luck.
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happydog500
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Re: Can't Get DVD's to Start

Post by happydog500 »

AndyMH wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 9:10 am T430 user here, what lenovo laptop model?
Assume you are hitting F12 on boot to get the boot list and selecting the DVD to boot from? Internal or external DVD drive?
What did you use to burn the iso to the DVD?
Thank you to everyone for the reply's.

Nice job Andy. I was booting from changing the boot Menu. I went into the BIOS and changed the boot order to USB-HD.

Now I see why people use USB. Discs lag a lot. The USB is like having it installed. I looked around and this OS is ready for prime time. This seemed like the best OS I've every used. If I was on the Mint team, I would be so proud. This is the best distro.

I used to distro hop, tried them all. My best, most stable one I liked in 27 years was Mint 17.3 Xfce (Win XP and 7 next). I tried the new Mint xfce and man this is nice. Such good memories came flooding in.

Questions: Could I use Mint from the USB all the time without installing it? Boot to Windows if I need to, Put in the USB and boot to Linux? Will it save if I set it up the way i like it? Save downloads?

Thank you for all the help. Nice job Mint Team!!!

C
(edit; Lenovo Z570)
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AndyMH
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Re: Can't Get DVD's to Start

Post by AndyMH »

happydog500 wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 6:30 pm Questions: Could I use Mint from the USB all the time without installing it? Boot to Windows if I need to, Put in the USB and boot to Linux? Will it save if I set it up the way i like it? Save downloads?
Yes but you will lose everything every time you boot. You could install to a usb stick. It will take a long time. It would be better to install to your system drive and dual boot. It will be a lot quicker.
Thinkcentre M720Q - LM21.3 cinnamon, 4 x T430 - LM21.3 cinnamon, Homebrew desktop i5-8400+GTX1080 Cinnamon 19.0
happydog500
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Re: Can't Get DVD's to Start

Post by happydog500 »

AndyMH wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 7:51 pm
happydog500 wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 6:30 pm Questions: Could I use Mint from the USB all the time without installing it? Boot to Windows if I need to, Put in the USB and boot to Linux? Will it save if I set it up the way i like it? Save downloads?
Yes but you will lose everything every time you boot. You could install to a usb stick. It will take a long time. It would be better to install to your system drive and dual boot. It will be a lot quicker.
Found out I can install Mint on a USB and run it just like it's on a HD. Easy. The example I was shown was to install the VM and Mint on the USB. I'll look into getting like a 256GB USB and installing Mint. I'd like to skip the VM and see about installing like the USB was a HD.

I think all I'd have to do is format it with the USB plugged in, install it just as if it where a partition. If the USB-HD is first boot device, it will boot the USB with Linux on it. Take it out, should boot off windows.

C
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