Linux help please

[atlshyne]

I have a problem. My XP Computer is giving me the BSOD because of a bad driver. I have updated the drivers but I cant get out of it and I am stuck in Safe Mode.

I tried a restore but my system has none. (HUGE BUMMER)


I want to install LINUX but I am not sure how to go and if it will work.
Firstly, is LINUX live that can be the installed from a USB the same as LINUX. And will I need to install new drivers or will that be done automatically.

Secondly, will any of them (Linux Live and Linux) keep my files from my hard disk. There are no real important files on it but it will be nice if that happens.

Thanks Guys

[happybunny]

The Linux Live CD is just that....a full version of Linux that runs on your CD (or USB stick).

However, most live CD's have an "install now" option once up and running.

This way you can try out to see if your hardware is Linux friendly before going through all the work to install it.

Live CD's are also good to help recover files, repair bad installs, etc etc.

As far as keeping your files, yeah, sort of.

If you have a 20 gig drive and Windows was occupying 10gigs, the installer will ask you if you want to re-partition the drive, so 10gigs is Windows, and 10gigs is (are?) Linux.

From a Windows point of view that would be C:\ and D:\.

However, if your Windows is borked, why not just copy your files off the computer, then torch the whole drive and install Linux on the whole thing?

[ehawk]

If it tells you what driver is missing, cant you use either a live evaluation CD of linux to get on the internet and download the driver, then copy the driver to a USB stick or CD or floppy, so that then Windows asks for the driver (if it does), you could tell it where to look for it?

or

Do this same thing from another computer, then supply the driver to the computer complaining about the lack of it?

Yes, live-evaluation CDs of linux will leave the files on your hard drive alone. You can use the CD to copy things to a USB stick. If you choose to install the live-evaluation linux distribution to your hard drive, you will normally be asked how to partition the hard drive, and can do so in a way as to preserve all of the current files on the hard drive.

Do you have an installation CD from the computer manufacturer or a Windows installation CD? They can normally be used to fix these sorts of errors, I think, resetting to factory default if you can't do a system restore.

I have not used the Linux Live USB creator. i do not know what linux distribution it is based upon (debian, fedora, etc):

http://www.linuxliveusb.com/

I have used something that looks similar, unetbootin:

http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

This gives you the choice of many popular linux distributions. I have been able to install it while preserving the windows partition.

I have used Ubuntu, Debian, PCLinuxOS, Fedora, SimplyMepis, and Linux Mint in the past. I think Linux Mint would be the easiest/most useful distribution for a first-time user, with Ubuntu being just about as easy. SimplyMepis would also be fine, but is not as popular as the first two. PCLinuxOS would also be fine, but there are probably more packages available for the others I suggested.

Hope this helps