Error on BIOS autodetect

[databyss]

Hi, I searched around for awhile, but I couldn't find an answer to my problem.

I have a hard drive that's on it's way out. I tried running knoppix to help recover the data, but when I load knoppix i get an error after the green bar goes across the screen on autodetect. The bar finishes, then I get a Warning saying that the BIOS autodetect was hanging.

Then I get 2 red words saying system error or something like that. I think it's hanging when BIOS detects the hard drives.

Is there a switch which will specifically stop hard drive detection and allow everything else to work?

I tried fail safe, which loads knoppix, but the mouse is USB and that doesn't work, and the internet connection doesn't work to allow me to search for more info.

I tried expert, but it hangs mid boot on a question. I can't type in an answer because my keyboard, which is also USB, had gotten disabled somewhere after the start.

I'd like to try again, but let it autodetect everything except hard drives, then try to mount them afterwards.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[rwcitek]

Is there a switch which will specifically stop hard drive detection and allow everything else to work?
What version of Knoppix are you using?

Depending on which Knoppix you are using, the answer to your question is, sort of. What you want is something like the failsafe label but with USB. Unfortunately, that doesn't exist. However, you can get close with some cheatcodes. My first stab would be to try to get into "emergency mode" and do everything at the command line:

boot: knoppix nohwsetup -b 6

If you are not that familiar with the command line, then you can boot into a GUI yet avoid disk access with these cheatcodes:

boot: knoppix nofstab noscsi nodma noswap nohwsetup

If that doesn't work, you can try a full-blown failsafe with USB:

boot: knoppix atapicd nosound noapic noacpi pnpbios=off acpi=off nofstab noscsi nodma noapm nopcmcia nofirewire noagp nodhcp xmodule=vesa nohwsetup

There may be other cheatcodes (http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Cheat_Codes) to explore.

Try those and let us know how things go.

Regards,
- Robert
http://www.cwelug.org

[databyss]

Awesome! Thanks.

I'll give these a shot when I get home and see what happens.