Ubuntu 9.04 won't recognise LinuxMint installation CD

Posted Thu, 2009-06-25 13:48 by The Digger

Hi, I'd be really grateful for any help that anyone can give. I successfully installed Ubuntu 9.04 on a laptop inherited from a relative, but I now want to load LinuxMint instead. I got hold of an installation CD, but the problem is that when I put it in the drive, Ubuntu just totally fails to recognise what it is. I just get a message saying I've put a blank CD in the drive, and asking what I want to do with it. I know there's nothing wrong with the CD as it works fine on my Windows XP pc, and it's not the drive as Ubuntu quite happily recognises and plays CDs and DVDs. I've been into the bios and made the optical drive the primary boot source, but to no avail. I'm really worried because if I can't use *any* OS installation CDs in the future, then I'm stuck with Ubuntu. I'd really welcome some help, preferably in really basic, step by step plain English as I'm totally new to Linux. Thanks!

Comments

Installation CD

by animaimmortale - 2009-06-26 22:00

If it is not working from the BIOS it is probably the CD drive itself. GRUB will not load until it has checked for bootable media in the disc drive. Ubuntu should not have any influence on that issue. Also, check the burn on the disc. Try re-downloading and re-burning the ISO, it may have been corrupt.

Cannot use LinuxMint installation disc on Ubuntu

by The Digger - 2009-06-28 17:00

Many thanks for this which I appreciate. However, I'm absolutely confident that the problem *is* with Ubuntu and nothing else. The Linux Mint installation CD was actually bought (from the Linux Shop here in the UK), so I didn't make it myself, and as I said in my original posting, I know there's nothing wrong with it because it boots perfectly on my Windows XP desktop PC. The optical drive in the laptop is also fine: again, to reiterate, it plays audio CDs and DVDs with no bother whatsoever. Indeed, it loaded the original Ubuntu installation disc perfectly when I used it to replace the Windows Vista OS that was originally on the laptop. The problem is that although the computer 'knows' there's a disc in the drive, it sees it as completely empty, with nothing on it at all. All this being so, it is quite obvious to me that this can *only* be an Ubuntu issue, and no other hardware or software. Any further help/advice greatly welcomed!

try boot from cd

by mzaiemo - 2009-06-28 17:19

hi, have you try boot from cd by changing bios configuration?

Linux Mint Should boot from power up

by FewClues - 2009-06-29 04:26

If you put the CD in the drive and do a restart the computer bios should see the CD and boot from it. If this doesn't happen then you have a corrupted CD. It is a small effort to download and burn a second copy of Linux Mint 7.0 and try again.

I am impressed that you are so confident that the CD is good and Ubuntu is bad. This is going to prove an error I'm sure.

Yep, done that, as I said in

by The Digger - 2009-06-29 16:40

Yep, done that, as I said in my original posting, I made the optical drive the prime boot source, it had zero effect, the OS just seems totally to ignore it.

But what I just don't

by The Digger - 2009-06-29 16:43

But what I just don't understand is, if a corrupted Linux Mint CD is the problem, why does it boot perfectly and first time, with absolutely no problems, on my Windows XP desktop PC?? Surely a corrupted disc wouldn't boot on *any* machine under *any* operating system? I simply cannot explain this other than as a problem with Ubuntu!

I guarantee that installed

by pcallycat - 2009-06-29 22:06

I guarantee that installed OS's do not affect the boot from cd process, as an OS can not take effect on anything whatsoever until it has been loaded. I have experienced the issue you are experiencing with failing drives (I work hardware support in a call center with more than 900 machines). If you have, or know someone who has, an external usb cdrom drive it is a fine work around. As has also been mentioned, sometimes just burning a new copy will get you a disk a tired drive can read. As others have said though, no matter whether it's the disk, or your drive, I promise, it's not in any way affected by already installed operating systems.

Possible boot from USB key?

by The Digger - 2009-06-30 15:59

Callycat, ok, thanks, I guess I now have to accept this, but problem is I don't have an external USB CD drive. However, I *have* heard it's possible to boot from a USB key. Would it be possible to copy my Linux Mint installation disc onto a USB key and boot from *that*? If you know how to do this process and can guide a complete non-techie, I'd be very grateful!

Pendrive

by riaan - 2009-06-30 21:39

A great resource for booting Linux from USB is pendrive:
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/index.php?s=Mint

Booting from USB drive

by The Digger - 2009-07-01 20:08

Riaan, many thanks, I appreciate your help!

Same issue here

by jhjgubbels - 2009-10-31 20:50

Hi, I am experiencing the same issue and, as you recommend to re-burn the image, wonder whether the ISO itself can also be corrupted. I have burned the same image 3 times now and without any luck. With me also, on windows the thing gets gecognized perfectly, but in 9.04 no luck ... any tips? Download the iso again? Btw, I am on an Acer Aspire 5610Z and my optical drive recognized a previously burned 9.04 installation disk perfectly.