Can't Boot, even with Repair Disk

[lengsfield]

Hi

For two or three years I've been running Ubuntu on a Toshiba Satellite A215, AMD 64 dual core, 2gb ram, 160gb hdd (currently loaded w 12.04). The computer crashed during loaded, which may or may not have been related to a dead battery caused by bad connecter on the powercord (since replaced).

I've been unable to boot ever since. When I let it boot, it shows a grub screen offering me the opportunity to choose Ubuntu, Memtest, etc. As soon as I touch a key, it freezes. I tried to boot with an Ubuntu 13.04 install disk, but it doesn't work. I tried with an ubuntu repair disk, which seems to open properly, but it freezes when I hit a key (say to choose English.) If I let it go without choosing a language, it goes to a blinking cursor that stays in that position indefinitely.

Any ideas?

thanks.

[Bashing-om]

lengsfield; Hi ! Welcome to the forum.

Are we looking at a situation where an update broke the proprietary graphics driver ?

From that grub menu selection screen on your install, what results if you choose to boot a "recovery" kernel ?

just try'n to help

[lengsfield]

I don't get a choice for a recovery kernel. The choices I see are:

Ubuntu
Adv Options for Ubuntu
Memory test (memtest86+)
Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)

But I can't choose any of them.

[Bashing-om]

lengsfield;
Panic not. Just proceed in a calm and orderly fashion.

What version/distro do you have installed ?
On the 13.04 install disk... when you created the disk -> did you check the md5sum of the .iso file and also verify the disk's integrity from that disk's boot menu ?

and the biggy here, to boot that liveDVD have you reset the boot priority in your bios ?

small things may have big consequences

[lengsfield]

Hi,

I didn't check the integrity of the disks, but I did try two different disks, one a straight 13.04 install and the other a rescue disk. 12.10 was the last install running.

To boot from the DVD, I just changed the boot sequence in startup, which is what I've done in the past. Do I need to change something else?

Many thanks.

[Bashing-om]

lengsfield;

What has worked in the past ...should work now to boot.
OK, have either of the two boot disk ever been booted up ?
If yes and they will not boot now ...then I suggest that the bios has become corrupted... now that may not be a big deal... \Set bios back to the default settings... how to do that varies with each machine and the bios installed... one needs to consult the manual for directions on how to reset bios to default. I have seen it where a hardware reset was required and that method requires opening up the box and repining CMOS temporarily and pinning back to original pins.

Before taking this course of action I would verify that the boot disk are good ...another machine of the same architecture !

there is light at the end of a tunnel

[lengsfield]

I wondered about that. Is it enough to pull the battery? Assuming that I can reach it.

Thanks again.

[Bashing-om]

lengsfield;

Generally, pulling the battery on a DeskTop box will clear reset the bios to default.

I do not know about a laptop, if that is what is in reference here, and will not advise that course of action.... as difficult as it is to sometimes break open a lap top... I would think the manufacturer would exercise the forethought to permit resetting to default by some other means.

just my thought

[lengsfield]

Hi,

I tried to reset the defaults in setup, and then I followed directions to short the two jumpers that are supposed to re-set the BIOS. So far, nothing is working and nothing has changed.

Any other ideas?

thanks

[Bashing-om]

lengsfield;
Let's cover all the other bases. -assuming now that bios is "good",
1. In bios check(again) that 1st boot priority is the CD or DVD drive - whichever you device you are booting from(DVD disk for DVD device, CD disk for the CD device)
2. If your bios has "secure" boot ...turn it off,
3. Does your system incorporate "UEFI",
4. Check the md5sum of the downloaded .iso image file.
5. When you do boot the liveDVD , when the bios screen clears depress and hold the shift key -> boot menu;
in this boot menu is an option to "check disk" integrity or some such... do so ..check the disk integrity.
6, reboot and advise us where the boot up stalls, what do you see, how far in the booting process of the liveDVD do you get ?

Bear in mind I still look at the great possibility of a broken graphics driver..just let us rule out a problem in these basics...
We want to be able to boot up a liveCD/DVD (CD is fine in the case of version 12.04), If you were able earlier to boot a liveCD, and now cannot...and the new CD has been checked and verified ..and still unable to boot...
We will try some of the boot options available on the liveCD and see what the response is.

just try'n to help