TheKid7 wrote:I downloaded and burned ZorinOS 3.1 Core 32 bit to DVD+R using one of my Windows XP Pro PC's. I verified the MD5 Sum after download and had IMGBurn do a verify after the DVD+R was burned.
The installation of ZorinOS 3.1 repeatedly failed giving an error message that either my hard drive or my optical drive is having read/write errors. I am currently performing a thorough test of my hard drive.
If the hard drive tests out to be OK, I will order a new DVD burner tomorrow.
I am now suspicious that a possibly failing DVD burner may have had a contribution to my problems. When I install the new DVD burner next week, I will find out.
I'm not sure if you want this advice, so here it goes, I offer it anyway.......
1) Download the ISO of Zorin OS Core 3.1 32-bit Edition
NOTE: I always download using wget -c -t0
http://etc by copying the direct download link into gnome-terminal because I find this to be much more reliable than a regular http download through a web browser. Some would say to just use torrents and tor, but both of these are inherently insecure and major security risks to use. I recommend using wget, not torrents or http downloads via web browsers, but it is only a suggestion and recommmendation. Of course, check the downloaded files for the md5 hash checksum, as that is always sound advice and a good practice to use.
2) Using unetbootin, make a USB thumb drive into a bootable drive to install Zorin OS from and install it.
Caveat: Obviously this is an exercise in futility and completely pointless to do IF your BIOS does NOT support booting from USB; and in such a case, yes, checking and perhaps replacing the hard drive and the optical drive is the only choice; however...... IF your BIOS DOES support booting from USB, you are a rockstar, because your show, the install, will go on. Also, checking the hard drive is always good to do.
Make the bootable USB and install Zorin OS from it. My reasoning isn't just to get Zorin OS installed, but also a means of troubleshooting the issue at the same time while solving it.
If the optical drive is the problem, you just bypassed it.
If your errors on install go away, then you know it is the optical drive's fault. Replace it.
Now if the problem still remains while installing Zorin OS from USB, then it could be either the hard drive or the optical drive as you already know.
At this point, shut the PC down, go inside of it and disconnect the optical drive and reboot to USB to install Zorin OS. How did it go? Did it install ok? If it did, and without error, then it's the optical drive. If it does have errors still with the optical drive disconnected; then we know it is the internal hard drive. At that point, you can check the drive for errors, boot from USB and try the install again. If it works, ok. If not, then replace the internal hard drive, reconnect the optical drive since we know that's good, nowq boot to USB and install from there.
So if at this point, now that we've reconnected the optical drive, if we have errors, that too must be bad and must be replaced. We've already replaced the hard drive at this point, so excluding we may have a bad hard drive from the factory (rare, but it can happen), chances are good the optical drive is bad at that point.
IF you have done ALL of this and you STILL have issues.......... at that point, then I must say it is either going to be the RAM (rare these days, but possible), or more than likely, it's the motherboard. If it's the mobo, you may as well just go with whatever version and OS works well with it. The other option is to build or buy a new PC (even if that one is used) that does work well with the OS and version that you want to use.
