Cant install OS

I want to evaluate changing all machines in my company to linux,
thus tried a fresh install of linux OS. I chose zorin to test it.

• Hp hardware,
• NO operating system
• 1 nfts partition completely formated,
• zorin burned into a 4.7 DVD is in Cdrom drive
• nothing appears , no boot,

note that
• hardware diagnostics shows no problem with hardware. ( photo below)
• cdrom is working since it reads other bootdiscs
• hiren runs fine , xp from hiren runs also
• zorin disc boots in other computers , so the disc is not a problem

so ,
• what is missing in the hp hardware or bios or kernell or ??? ?

• seems hdd adapter is not present,

I never tried to actually burn a DVD but when creating an USB I have to use unetbootin instead of just dd with other ISO Files.

How did you burn the DVD? What speed?
Did you follow the instructions on http://zorinos.com/installguide.html?
Did you check MD5SUM to make sure the download was fine?
Last but not least: Which version of Zorin did you use (9, 11, Lite, Core)?

Hi, just to confirm, You say Zorin DVD is in CDROM drive, This is a DVD/CD drive or just CD?

Seems it is DVD as I just rechecked the picture after posting....so I will put my other suggestions here also.

Does this machine have BIOS or UEFI? Seems your CPU was released around 2008 so guessing thats about machine age also. I believe the UEFI may/can still be present even after formating. Being 'company' do you have another identical PC to test Zorin boot disk on?

If this is the case (UEFI) try making Zorin boot (or USB) disk using "Rufus". Just Google and download its easy to use.

Hirens is HP 'recovery' tool? Anyway as you can boot the DVD on other PC's, and other bootable disks work on this machine I found this link that may mean something to you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8EmawRDvL8

Does seem odd! Good luck

Zorin is burned into a DVD , it boots in other computers.
the DVD , CD drive , works , no problem reading other DVDs like Hiren .
Hard disk seems to be ok , no bad sectors.
bios does not offer usb boot option.

The machine came loaded with Vista OS, but after wipping the hard disk it lost all partitions including the boot sector .

do I need to create a linux boot sector so zorin can comunicate with hard disk, ????

Have you set first boot to dvd rom and 2nd boot to hdd? Also try disabling UEFI and fast boot if enabled in bios.

Hi Dark9/svx-biker/zorinevaluator

I think it boots other 'bootable' disks just not the Zorin disk for some reason although the disk seems to boot on other computers. I have had strange things with UEFI and also BIOS before so I think its only a matter of time till something gives, or breaks!

zorinevaluator, maybe try reformatting/deleting the partions/NTFS file system with some other utility? Even though 'other' disks boot in the machine but the Zorin disk will not. Even try another HDD or no HDD in the machine just to see what happens????

Well that’s about what I would do myself without seeing the machine in the flesh.

Also, I have an Acer desktop that wouldn't boot off USB until I found the option in one of the last BIOS menu's like security or, Ill go check now....
OK, took some pictures of the BIOS on my Acer, see below, not where you would expect to find these options, well took me a while to figure it out!

This option on Acer BIOS and,


Then "Enable" as highlighted


Although this machine would boot from a DVD but NOT USB until I 'enabled' this option. Your picture shows a "DVD" drive, so guessing it can read DVD but maybe also try some other Bootable "DVD" (Not CDROM that is) just to be sure?

Hope this helps.

Hi you cannot install GNU/Linux to NTFS you need to manually create 'ext4' file system. Please check out this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7474

Hi Swarfendor437,

This shouldn't prevent the DVD booting though? As if you have Windows installed I would have thought.

Also I clicked your link but it didn't work for me.

MBMz10 wrote:Hi Swarfendor437,

This shouldn't prevent the DVD booting though? As if you have Windows installed I would have thought.

Also I clicked your link but it didn't work for me.

Hi. I was looking at the posts where user was trying to install to NTFS. The link works for me. In terms of isolation I always use winmd5free in Windows environment and only use imgburn in Windows for burning the image. As for USB creation I only use MultiSystem. The only downside you need to have a GNU/Linux install but they do have a live DVD but not tried it i.e., MultiSystem.