Followed all instructions still no boot

[Quinny]

Burned ISO image from Knoppix v 3.8 using nero (not drag n drop).

Now have a cd that cannot be seen in Windows, (nero said the burn was successful), so should be bootable??

Changed boot order to boot from CD, and system boots into.... XP!

Where do I go from here?

[Harry Kuhman]

Now have a cd that cannot be seen in Windows, (nero said the burn was successful), so should be bootable??

The CD that results from a sucessful burn should be visable in Windows. You should see a full directory structure on it (not just one ISO file). If you foolishly have the autorun feature enabled in Windows than it should start up a browser and tell you a little about Knoppix by opening a HTML file on the CD.

Not sure what happened with your burn. Did you check the md5 file before burning (a corrupted download could be the problem)? Did you burn slow (although a fast burn seem much less likely to not let you see anything at all under Windows)?

If you have the right answers for both of the above, you might try using a tol like ISObuster under Windows to see what is really on the CD and get a better understanding of what may have gone wrong.

My money is bet on your deciding that checking the md5 sum wasn't important because you didn't know what it was and were not going to Google it to find out.

[Quinny]

I've got the md5 file, but the instructions to verify are under linux/unix as i can't install, how do i run the command?

[UnderScore]

Visit the Downloading FAQ and read about "What are these strange MD5 files that accompany the ISO CD images?". It contains instructions for Linux & links to programs for Windows.
Once you have confirmed that the ISO is perfect & not corrupt, then you can either read another FAQ "I have downloaded the ISO file. How do I burn the ISO? How is the ISO supposed to be burned?". If you do not read the FAQs or follow our advice then you will most likely waste your time with the result of another non-working CDR.

[Harry Kuhman]

I've got the md5 file, but the instructions to verify are under linux/unix as i can't install, how do i run the command?

If you got the correct md5 file (not some file that you found inside the ISO) then you place it in the same directory as the iso file and run any of a number of Windows programs that will check the md5 sum. Google will track down a lot of them. I learned recently that recent versions of QuickPar (a very popular program for error recovery with par2 files) will check the md5. If you don't have QuickPar then a program that I like is md5summer. Its user interface is a bit strange but not hard to use, and it shows a nice progress report as it checks your file (some other md5 programs just seem to be locked up for a few minutes while they check the file).

The result should be a single yes or no check on the entire ISO file. If you get multiple correect file indications then you are doing it wrong and you will make another bad CD if you continue.

The downloading FAQ does indeed give links to sereral programs that you could have used, including md5summer. We tell people this check is important (particularly if you also refuse to learn how to use BitTorrent) for a reason.

[Quinny]

Downloaded graphical program md5 checks OK. Followed rocketfodder guide.

Try again?

[Harry Kuhman]

Downloaded graphical program md5 checks OK. Followed rocketfodder guide.

Try again?

I don't know what the rocketfodder guide is. You're almost certainly doing something wrong. As Underscore said, if you don't follow the instructions in the FAQ (and don't add any extra steps that you think make it even better) then you're not likely to get a good burn next time either (I guess there is a very small chance that there is just something wrong with the CD, but that doesn't seem likely, particuilarly since Nero 6 now does a verification pass on the burnt CD). I would strongly suggest that if you do keep trying to burn that you use a 700 meg CDRW next time rather than add to your coaster collection.

[UnderScore]

I think a mistake in communication. The rocketfodder guide is the Nero 6 Express guide to burning Knoppix that someone else wrote.
http://www.rocketfodder.pwp.blueyond...Nero_page1.htm

I edited the Downloading FAQ & included it in the buring tips.

[Quinny]

Confused! The guide that I followed was from the FAQ' rocketfodder is just a bit more graphical. Last try gave a write failure, but I suppose you get one dodgy CD in a stack! Last try before going to bed its 3:35am here and the suns starting to come up. I've used this system for burning hundreds of CD-ROMS previously and never had a problem.

[Quinny]

At last - booted to Knoppix - loaded drivers and then hung at starting X11 prompt - I think command was /etc/xsession somethign like that. Beginning to lose hope.