OK, one issue at a time.

My cd runs on another machine...not only my laptop, but a buddy's desktop.

Haven't checked the checksum, but can download and burn at 2x not 4x...NBD.

Laptop keyboard IS live.
Laptop mouse-pad is live, as is "the pointer from hell".

A v3.8 live cd yields the SAME message on my desktop machine.

SLAX loads on my machine!

The error code appears to be a hex number...memory address perhaps?
Time to ask the penguin.

The checksum will be a waste of time...it runs on other machines.
But just for the hell of it, I'll do another d/l and slow burn, then
check it.

Back Weds., thanks guys.