Dumped at A:\ Prompt by KNOPPIX

[Ajak]

I downloaded this file: KNOPPIX_V3.7-2004-12-08-EN.iso from a file sharing network & burned it to a 800MB CD, using the boot-able option in Nero Express. I set CD drive D: as first boot option in the BIOS & restarted, all the hardware was detected, some of the screen messages were as follows:

Caldera DR-DOS 7.03
No FAT32 Volumes Found, exiting
Usage: ntfsread.exe
Partition C:\ installed

I then got dumped at this prompt: [DR-DOS] A:\>
After which nothing else happened, why didn't KNOPPIX run?.

Ajak.

System specs:
OS: Win. XP Pro.
File System: NTFS
MB: ASUS A7N8X-E Deluxe
BIOS: Award
CPU: AMD Athlon XP 1.6
Ram: 256 Meg Crucial Memory
Primary HD: C80GB Western Digital Caviar SE, no partitions)
CD Drive: DLiteon 40x12x48x Writer)
DVD Drive: JLG GSA-4160B Writer, in external USB2 enclosure w Maxell 4.7GB DVD-RAM, FAT32 formatted)

[bfree]

I downloaded this file: KNOPPIX_V3.7-2004-12-08-EN.iso from a file sharing network

Ok then, first thing is to check the mk5sum of the file you downloaded, it should be a98fb9823414dc3d33c5e53f120c0339 It's possible you downloaded a fake or just a bad image (or the download is corrupt)

& burned it to a 800MB CD, using the boot-able option in Nero Express.

And it sounds like this is the real problem though, you should not have a bootable option! You should simply be buring the iso image to disk (burn/record image or something in menus).

I set CD drive D: as first boot option in the BIOS & restarted, all the hardware was detected, some of the screen messages were as follows:

Caldera DR-DOS 7.03
No FAT32 Volumes Found, exiting
Usage: ntfsread.exe
Partition C:\ installed

I then got dumped at this prompt: [DR-DOS] A:\>
After which nothing else happened, why didn't KNOPPIX run?.

You are not booting the cd at all, or if you are it is not Knoppix!

[Harry Kuhman]

I downloaded this file: KNOPPIX_V3.7-2004-12-08-EN.iso from a file sharing network & burned it to a 800MB CD, using the boot-able option in Nero Express. I set CD drive D: as first boot option in the BIOS & restarted, all the hardware was detected, ......
I then got dumped at this prompt: [DR-DOS] A:\>
After which nothing else happened, why didn't KNOPPIX run?.

Because you burned it to a 800MB CD, using the boot-able option in Nero Express.
In other words, you burnt it incorrectly.
From Nero Express (at least the version I've seen, but I hate and refuse to use the "express" version of Nero), you want to use the "Disc Image or Saved Project" option. Pay no attention to the bootable option, do not use it. If you burn the image correctly it will be bootable. Also you made no mention of checking the md5 sum, or of burning at a safe and sane speed.

[rrfish72]

Check this for Nero info:

http://www.rocketfodder.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/MySite/Burning_Linux_Live_CD's_With_Nero_page1.htm

Page 2 even has pictures.

[Ajak]

The Nero Express menu has:

1. Data:-
a. Data Disc,
b. Bootable Data Disc,

4. Disc Image or Saved Project::-
Record a disc from disc image previously burned onto the hard drive.

I chose: Bootable Data Disc, max. burn speed is 40, I used 24, how do you check the md5 sum?, do I have to download it & burn it along with the ISO?. What is the best burning software & why is NERO Express so bad?.


Ajak.

[rrfish72]

I don't use nero so the link above is all I know about it. But from posts I've read is that you don't want to make it a bootable data cd. I found this to help you:

To create a CD from the CD (*.iso) image using newer versions of Nero:

1. Choose the menu command "File"->"Burn Image".An "Open" file dialog box appears with the following image types supported (*.nrg, *.iso, *.cue).

2. Select your ISO file.

3. Click Open. The "Write CD" dialog box appears with several tabs (Info, Foreign image, Misc, Burn).

4. Click the 'Burn' Tab.

5. Confirm that 'Write' and 'Finalize' are selected.

6. Click on "Write".

[Harry Kuhman]

The Nero Express menu has:

1. Data:-
a. Data Disc,
b. Bootable Data Disc,

4. Disc Image or Saved Project::-
Record a disc from disc image previously burned onto the hard drive.

I chose: Bootable Data Disc,

Yup, you did. That was wrong, And you made a bootable disk, it just didn't boot into Knoppix. Use the option that I explained already.

burn speed is 40, I used 24,

Use 4x. Trust me on this, that's why you are coming here for advice after all. Or read through this forum to see all of the people who have already posted back that when they burned at a high speed the CD would not boot but when they dropped down to 4x it did.

how do you check the md5 sum?, do I have to download it & burn it along with the ISO?.

There are a lot of md5 programs available, a simple Google search would have found a lot. I like this one. You download the tiny md5 file that is associated with your iso (if you used Bittorrent it should have come down with the iso, otherwise it's available on the mirrors). This is basically a checksum. You computer the md5 sum of the file that you downloaded and match it to what it should be to be sure that your download is not corrupt. If you don't do this then you're wasting your time and ours burning and asking why it doesn't work. Once you have confirmed the md5 checksum, you do not burn it to the disk.

What is the best burning software & why is NERO Express so bad?

There is lots of software that will burn an ISO, or "image file". Why Nero express is so bad I don't know, I guess they just made it bad so that they could both charge OEMs to distribute it and then get users to buy the upgrade to the normal Nero interface. But it certainly looks like it would burn the iso, if you just used the right option. I like the regular Nero, although there were some things in Nero 5 that I liked more than I like version 6. Version 6 has some other improvements but overall I think it's a step backwards, wouldn't use it except my Nero 6 wouldn't recognize my new DVD drive. But Nero 6 insisted on uniinstalling my Nero 5, and did a few other nasty things too. Fortunately, other burning software that I already own (NTI) would recognize my DVD player (after a software upgrade), so I switched back to Nero 5 rather than use the disgusting Nero for Dummies interface. I don't know that any software is "the best", may work just fine and most will burn ISO files. But there certainly is some bad burning software.

[Ajak]

Thanks for the help KNOPPIX people!, I'm off to get Nero 6.6.0.5 Reloaded & try again, using the instructions given.

Ajak.

[Harry Kuhman]

And, of course, I hope you can make an inteligent decision about taking detailed instructions that seem to have nothing at all to do with your Nero Express interface from someone who prefixes them with "I don't use nero".

[rrfish72]

Try this free iso burner:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/CD-DVD-...ner-Free.shtml