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Matches Malone
10-12-2001, 01:57 PM
Can anyone help? Ever since an installation of REDHAT failed on me, every time I tell my BIOS to boot to CD, it looks in drive A: !!!

Do I need to flash my BIOS???

Am now using Mandrake, and is running fine :) But would like to get my boot to CD option back :)
bdg1983
10-12-2001, 02:24 PM
That's strange.

Do you have the floppy designated as the second boot device so if no bootable cd is detected, the floppy will be tried next?

Have you tried other bootable cd's? Other Linux distros, NT, W2K to see if they will work?

Can you see the cdrom being accessed?

I guess if all else fails, try flashing the bios.
AdaHacker
10-12-2001, 03:01 PM
That's really, REALLY strange.

Are you positive you set the BIOS up correctly? Are you sure the CD is bootable and works correctly?

You mentioned a failed Redhat install, but there's no way installing an OS would mess with your BIOS. The BIOS is on a ROM chip, so normal software can't write to it. It just isn't possible.

Flashing a new BIOS is dangerous and should be an absolute last resort. If I were you, I'd do some research before you go messing with it. Maybe you should check the web or contact your mainboard manufacturer to see if there are any known issues. Or maybe it's not the BIOS at all. Who knows?
Matches Malone
10-12-2001, 03:17 PM
I'm not sure HOW it happened, but the fact remains that only AFTER that install failed(btw it was when I was setting up X), whenever I set my CMOS to boot to CD(and nothing else), it tries to look in drive A :(and the screen reports that it is searching the CDROM. Also, just so yaz know, I have been in puterz fer over 10 years now, so I sure did make absolute sure of what I was choosing in CMOS, k? :) But Linux has always puzzled me(past installation lol), and am now trying to get down and learn all I can about it :)
Matches Malone
10-12-2001, 03:23 PM
Oh, my apologies... Here are answers for yer questions! :)))

Do you have the floppy designated as the second boot device so if no bootable cd is detected, the floppy will be tried next?

No, I had ONLY CDROM

Have you tried other bootable cd's? Other Linux distros, NT, W2K to see if they will work?

Yes, ALL CDS that are bootable I have tried of mine, but every time I tell CMOS to boot to CD, WALA lol

Can you see the cdrom being accessed?

NO. That is a good point too, thanks. I don't see any CD access, only drive a:

THANKS fer answerin me guys!!! I appreciate the help!
bdg1983
10-12-2001, 03:33 PM
That's really, REALLY, REALLY strange.

And you can access/use the cdrom once your os is booted? You didn't change anything inside the case?

AdaHacker had a good suggestion to check with the motherboard manufacturer.
Matches Malone
10-12-2001, 03:38 PM
And you can access/use the cdrom once your os is booted? You didn't change anything inside the case?

Yes, all regular CD access is as normal, aside of Linux not recognizing my regular rom and forcing me to use only my burner lol

AdaHacker had a good suggestion to check with the motherboard manufacturer

Yes, and I just may need to even iffin I need to flash :)
jolphil
10-13-2001, 09:00 AM
Hi,
When you say you told your bios to boot the cdrom did you "save changes to the cmos" ...
This is only stated to be helpful and is in no way a putdown..I have made this mistake myself..
Good Luck,
JP
bdg1983
10-13-2001, 09:03 AM
Good point.
Matches Malone
10-13-2001, 04:38 PM
Indeed I did :) And thanks, I HAVE done that as well lol

I temp uninstalled Lin for need of space, and will be reinstalling, but would still like to solve that lil tidbit...

Any other ideas?
bdg1983
10-13-2001, 04:58 PM
Have you checked the cd power and data cables? The cdrom is setup correctly as i.e. primary/slave and detected in the bios? And it did use to work with bootable cd's?
Matches Malone
10-13-2001, 05:21 PM
Yep, it has always worked jus fine :)
And works as we speak...

Just whenever I tell CMOS to BOOT TO CD(whether 1st or ONLY option), it seeks on floppy drive and doesn't access the CDROM at all :P
Linuxcool
10-13-2001, 07:05 PM
What happens when you tell it to boot from the floppy first instead of the cdrom?
Matches Malone
10-14-2001, 10:58 AM
If I tell it to boot from disk, it works, and boots from disk like expected.
Matches Malone
10-15-2001, 01:33 PM
Nothing new guys? Still thinkin the best may be flashing CMOS...