Quote Originally Posted by Harry Kuhman
So while yes, bad burns are all too common, I don't know that we have enough information to say that this is a bad burn.
Your right. The cause could be something else. All I'm saying is that the symptoms are consistent with a bad burn, which seems to be the single most common cause for non-booting systems (i.e. not even a boot prompt). Luckily, there is a very simple solution: check the MD5 of the ISO and burn slower. If the MD5 differs from what it should be, download a new ISO and burn a new CD (slowly). If the MD5 matches what it should be, use the ISO to burn a new CD (slowly).

Other things to try:
- test the CD on another machine (e.g. go to a local, large-scale retailer)
- use an earlier version of Knoppix, perhaps one with the 2.4 kernel, e.g. 3.7, 3.6, or earlier
- use a PS/2 keyboard or perhaps even the keyboard that's built-in to the laptop.

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