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Can boot up Zorin live USB on other computer but not mine

FoundIt20

Thu Nov 02, 2017 8:01:57 am

Hi,

I've tried installing Zorin OS 12.2 but I'm having a few difficulties.

When I try to boot from my USB using the boot menu, I just get some symbols at the bottom of the screen and then a blinking cursor forever.

I know that the USB works and Zorin is installed to it properly because when I tested it in another PC, everything went smoothly, the Zorin splash screen showed, and then i had the install options.

Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks

mdiemer

Thu Nov 02, 2017 4:50:28 pm

I wonder if you are selecting the USB drive correctly. On my computer, I had to make sure I selected to boot from hard drive. I was expecting the USB to be listed separately, like the DVD drive. But it was actually listed as a hard drive. So make sure you select hard drive from the boot menu, then see if your USB is listed. I apologize if you are already doing this, but it sounds similar to what happened to me.

Swarfendor437

Thu Nov 02, 2017 9:00:17 pm

FoundIt20 wrote:Hi,

I've tried installing Zorin OS 12.2 but I'm having a few difficulties.

When I try to boot from my USB using the boot menu, I just get some symbols at the bottom of the screen and then a blinking cursor forever. ...


Anything like the symbols at the bottom of this picture?:

https://pricklytech.files.wordpress.com ... oot-01.png

FoundIt20

Fri Nov 03, 2017 5:21:12 am

mdiemer wrote:I wonder if you are selecting the USB drive correctly. On my computer, I had to make sure I selected to boot from hard drive. I was expecting the USB to be listed separately, like the DVD drive. But it was actually listed as a hard drive. So make sure you select hard drive from the boot menu, then see if your USB is listed. I apologize if you are already doing this, but it sounds similar to what happened to me.


Hadn't tried that, so I did. Came up with my normal hard drive and the USB. Selected usb. Same thing, symbols then blinking cursor forever. Thanks for the idea though.

FoundIt20

Fri Nov 03, 2017 5:21:53 am

Swarfendor437 wrote:
FoundIt20 wrote:Hi,

I've tried installing Zorin OS 12.2 but I'm having a few difficulties.

When I try to boot from my USB using the boot menu, I just get some symbols at the bottom of the screen and then a blinking cursor forever. ...


Anything like the symbols at the bottom of this picture?:

https://pricklytech.files.wordpress.com ... oot-01.png


Yup, just those symbols and then the flashing cursor

Swarfendor437

Fri Nov 03, 2017 12:45:50 pm

OK, when you see those symbols, press the space bar and you should get language option set to English - press Escape then press F3 to select Keyboard Language Layout. Next Press F6 and check mark "nomodeset" and "acpi=off" and see if it boots ok then. Keep us posted.

FoundIt20

Sat Nov 04, 2017 12:36:14 am

Swarfendor437 wrote:OK, when you see those symbols, press the space bar and you should get language option set to English - press Escape then press F3 to select Keyboard Language Layout. Next Press F6 and check mark "nomodeset" and "acpi=off" and see if it boots ok then. Keep us posted.

On my computer, when I try to press space (or any key for that matter), I get no response from the screen, just symbols and then blinking cursor. When I try my other computer however, I press space and I get the boot options as you described.

Funny this is that I was able to press space and get these boot options on my computer before but now it's not working. Weird

Swarfendor437

Sat Nov 04, 2017 1:27:18 pm

Is your keyboard wireless or wired?

FoundIt20

Sat Nov 04, 2017 7:21:27 pm

Wired.

FoundIt20

Sun Nov 05, 2017 2:02:56 am

Okay, I was able to get into the boot options. Turns out I had turned off legacy keyboard support in the BIOS while messing around with the settings.

Anyway, I check marked nomodeset and acpi=off and pressed try Zorin. This is the message I got:

[. 1.510999 ] nouveau 0000:01:00.0: bus: MMIO read of 00000000 FAULT at 3e6684
[ IBUS ]

Any ideas?

Swarfendor437

Sun Nov 05, 2017 9:32:02 am

Hi, add this to the boot parameters:

Code:
modprobe.blacklist=nouveau


With acknowledgement to loqs here:

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=226400

FoundIt20

Mon Nov 06, 2017 4:50:35 am

Hi,

When I add that to the boot options (which I assume is what you mean, please correct me if I'm wrong), I just get a blinking cursor again. This is starting to tick me off :x

Thank you for all the help so far, Swarfendor, I really appreciate it :)

Swarfendor437

Mon Nov 06, 2017 12:37:35 pm

Hi, Sorry to hear that. Does the machine have any onboard graphics that you could use temporarily as opposed to the dedicated graphics? My only other advice is to try the text installation method that decalman offered some time ago - sadly the pictures with the thread are no longer available from his photo account but I kept the text of his thread an made it a global sticky here:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13063

Failing that you may need to look at Zorin Lite - I appreciate it is not the same beast but a lot lighter.

Other alternatives that might work for you are Chalet OS or Makulu Linux. ;) :D

mdiemer

Mon Nov 06, 2017 5:10:53 pm

I can tell you that Zorin Lite is fantastic. I don't miss anything from Core or Ultimate. It's so good that I forget it's Lite, it feels like a full-featured OS to me. If you have a computer that is older or finicky, I would give it a try. It's the best "lite" GNU/Linux I have tried. Very fast, vert stable.

Swarfendor437

Mon Nov 06, 2017 9:07:57 pm

Oh, just remembered! Have you ever updated the BIOS on your Dell PC?

MBMz10

Tue Nov 07, 2017 5:55:47 pm

You could try making another USB using a different program or maybe on another machine and see if that makes any difference. Even a bootable DVD if you have a drive on the target machine.

FoundIt20

Tue Nov 07, 2017 7:12:30 pm

I might try unplugging the GFX card and see if that helps.

@Swarfendor437. Computer I am having trouble with is a custom built. Here's a basic rundown:
Mobo: Gigabyte G41MT-D3
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (not OC, standard clock at 2.4GHz.
Ram: 2x4GB sticks of DDR3 1066 Hynix ram.
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 TI (FTW edition)

The computer I am having no problems running Zorin OS on is ironically an old Dell Optiplex (780 I believe).

If taking the GPU out and trying to run it doesn't work I will try all of you guys' suggestions.
Thank you so much for all the help and replies!

Swarfendor437

Tue Nov 07, 2017 9:14:25 pm

Hi, There is nothing wrong with your spec. And for the record Windows in the past has also been a culprit of mismatched hardware. For the brief time I was a self-employed IT contractor, working for the local authorities then preferred IT supplier, I made the acquaintance of an NT4 Guru who explained to me that if you went to Microsoft's hardware compatibility list it would list individual hardware components as compliant with X version of Windows, but then would state that if two pieces of hardware that were compliant individually, if they were put in the same rig they would no longer be compliant! And please remember that the majority of commercial hardware products are geared to that 'Other OS' which reminds me of what Knoppix sees Windows as - it does not name it Windows but 'Other OS' :rofl:

If you want dedicated GNU/Linux hardware in US:

https://www.thinkpenguin.com/

UK:

https://www.entroware.com/store/kratos

I only knew about kratos above due to Finston Pickle!

And for Oz:

https://www.linuxnow.com.au/dsintro.html

Finston Pickle

Wed Nov 08, 2017 7:06:58 pm

I had trouble getting things to work from a USB drive - I had to install from a DVD and then things went smoothly.