Boot from CD doesn't work..

[dupa]

I have an old pc.
On its bios there is the option Boot From CD but though i set it, it doesn't work.
So, everytime i need to install an operating system on that PC i become mad, since the boot from cd option is very useful and almost required for all modern operating systems.

Is there any way to create a "floppy boot disk" that will just "forward" the boot to the Cd-Rom?

For example.. i have a installation cd of Ubuntu.. or a installation cd of WinXp.

I insert the floppy and the installation cd in the computer.
The bios automatically boot fro the floppy.. and the floppy just "forward" the boot to the Cd-Rom.. so in this way i hope to get a working Cd Boot.

Some people told me to use Grub. Do you think it can do this? and have you any link to tutorial about creating this kind of floppy?

Thank you very much.

[swoll1980]

Can you hit f12 befor the boot and select the drive you want to boot from?

[dupa]

Can you hit f12 befor the boot and select the drive you want to boot from?

I can select "boot from Cd" from the bios, but Doesn't work!
the cd-rom works correctly when the system is UP... but during the boot process the "boot from cd" doesn't work though i can select that option in the BIOS menu.

[Beamerboy]

I have an old pc.
On its bios there is the option Boot From CD but though i set it, it doesn't work.
So, everytime i need to install an operating system on that PC i become mad, since the boot from cd option is very useful and almost required for all modern operating systems.

Is there any way to create a "floppy boot disk" that will just "forward" the boot to the Cd-Rom?

For example.. i have a installation cd of Ubuntu.. or a installation cd of WinXp.

I insert the floppy and the installation cd in the computer.
The bios automatically boot fro the floppy.. and the floppy just "forward" the boot to the Cd-Rom.. so in this way i hope to get a working Cd Boot.

Some people told me to use Grub. Do you think it can do this? and have you any link to tutorial about creating this kind of floppy?

Thank you very much.

Hey you might want to check this out:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SmartBootManagerHowto

[dupa]

Hey you might want to check this out:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SmartBootManagerHowto

thanks for the link.
is "Smart Boot Manager" indipendent from the OS i need to install.
I mean.. with that floppy disk, can I boot up from Linux Cd, or BSD Cd.. or Windows CD ?

[logos34]

is "Smart Boot Manager" indipendent from the OS i need to install.
I mean.. with that floppy disk, can I boot up from Linux Cd, or BSD Cd.. or Windows CD ?

yes, it works with any bootable cd

[dupa]

unluckily it seems to not work.
i downloaded the binary sbminst
i executed the command and i created the boot disk on /dev/fd0

I boot the pc with the floppy inserted in.
it appears the SBM menu.. but if I choose "cdrom" and press "enter", it shows me an error message (error 0xAA) or something like that.

Of course i put in the cd-rom player a bootable cdrom (the Xp instllation cd)

I'm doing this first test on a machine on which the boot from cd from the BIOS works correctly.

Have you any idea?
thanks

[logos34]

I get the red error message too, but I just hit 'enter' again more firmly (as opposed to tapping the key) and it works. Or try making it 'active' (F4 or F6 key, can't remember), then save with F2, then try selecting cdrom again.

[dupa]

I get the red error message too, but I just hit 'enter' again more firmly (as opposed to tapping the key) and it works. Or try making it 'active' (F4 or F6 key, can't remember), then save with F2, then try selecting cdrom again.

hitting enter more firmly? are you kidding me?

[dupa]

in the SBM menu there is an option
Set CDROM I/O ports
how can i get know which ports are correct?

[Tyggna]

You may want to try and flash you bios. Chances are that the manufacturer has a new driver for it that will fix the boot from CD problem--along with other things. You just download what they tell you, and they should provide instructions. If that doesn't work, then I'd take a command-line bootable floppy, and edit the windows boot.ini file to look at the CD-ROM drive instead of the harddrive (backing up the file first, of course). Once you're done booting from the CD-ROM, then switch it back.

[dupa]

You may want to try and flash you bios. Chances are that the manufacturer has a new driver for it that will fix the boot from CD problem--along with other things. You just download what they tell you, and they should provide instructions. If that doesn't work, then I'd take a command-line bootable floppy, and edit the windows boot.ini file to look at the CD-ROM drive instead of the harddrive (backing up the file first, of course). Once you're done booting from the CD-ROM, then switch it back.

i already check it.. but the mobo producer is very crappy and also with the last (of the few) bios updtes... it still doesnt' work

now i'm looking for a way to know the I/O port associated to my cdrom

if i look into
/proc/ioports
I can see some stuff associated with ide0 and ide1

My cdrom is connected on primary slave (/dev/hdb)
Someone knows a way to know the io port associated to /dev/hdb

THANKS!

[dupa]

the exact error i get is:

"disk error! 0xaa"

[init1]

Try GRUB.
http://www.yolinux.com/TUTORIALS/LinuxTutorialRecoveryAndBootDisk.html#GRUB

[logos34]

hitting enter more firmly? are you kidding me?


"disk error! 0xaa"

I kid you not...I get the exact same message if I quickly tap the enter key, I have to hold it down a split second longer and/or press the key 2-3 times to get it to boot up the cd...I have no idea why. I use it all the time (I have it integrated into Grub so I don't have to change the bios to boot cds). You say you dl'd the 'sbminst' (~40 KB executable?)...All I can suggest is to try it with the sbm.bin (~1.5 MB) file on the Ubuntu CD ('/install' folder). That works for me.