Following on from the Linux thread last week I decided to download the live version of Ubuntu and try running from CD before making a firm decision to replace my current windows setup.

However, after I downloaded it and burned to CD the machine wouldn't boot from CD (BIOS settings are OK - already checked!) and if I watch the screen closely enough I get a message about the media in the CD Drive being un-bootable (or summit like that - it's very quick!).

Realising that I would need to create a "bootable" cd, i set about trying to do it using nero by selecting the make bootable cd option. However, once i get past the stage of selecting the files to burn I'm being told that I need to insert a floppy disk to allow nero to make a bootable cd! Therein lies the problem - it's a 6 month old b***y laptop, it has no floppy drive!!

Any suggestion on how to get round would be great!

Cheers,

Robin

If you downloaded the right ISO and burnt it using nero or something simillar then it should already be bootable. The process of creating a bootable cd from scratch is quiet complex.

As manny said its down to whether you burnt the ISO image properly through nero (tools --> Burn Image)- i think. Not doubting any technical knoweldge but it may have just been burnt as an ISO file onto the CD.

Stick the CD in and check through windows what files are on there?

Alternativly the process for making a bootable CD is as follows

1) Obtain a 1.44MB .img floppy file for your distro

2) Start nero, and one of the options across the top will give you a button which mentions floppy images.

3) You will then need to find out from the site you got the img file from which options you need active and which you dont

4) create the CD

Thats the general gist but each distro will need different options as per point 3, and you will also have to find the .img file too

thanks! that's nailed the problem - i just copied the iso file straight to cd, didn't bother creating an image!

Will give that a bash tonight!

Cheers!

The Ubuntu CD image is already in ISO9660 CD format, including the bootable part (for the technically minded, is contains an El Torito boot image). You need to ensure that your CD writing software copies it exactly; look for an option to burn a "raw" image, or something similar (the exact option will depend on your particular software).

If you are using Roxio easy cd/dvd creator, just double click the ISO image and it will open and burn correctly. With nero you need to find the option to burn image to iso, then change the .nrg extension to .iso and select the file.