Okay, I always thought I was pretty computer literate. I mean, I can use DOS alright, and I know how to use Windows (I hope that's not like a swear word in these parts) better than most people. So, with a spare PC taking up space on the living room floor and a HD that had needed formatting, and therefore had no OS, or anything else for that matter, I downloaded Games Knoppix 3.7-0.1 because that looked like the most recent release that was under 800Mb (No DVD burner for me ) So, I burned the CD, as per instructions, and got a computer to boot off of it. (Not the one I'm on now, or the one I'm trying to revive, but a third PC nominally running M$) So, the CD is good, right? The "dead" PC, however, will not boot off of the CD, it gives me the following messages:

OS load in progress...

ISOLINUX 2.04 (Debian, 2003-06-06) isolinux: Loading spec packet failed, trying
to wing it...
isolinux: Failed to locate CD-ROM device; boot failed.
_


I've looked everywhere for any info related to this problem, and now I'm asking for help. The PC in question is an outdated Packard Bell Platinum 2240 with an Intel Pentium 200Mhz, 32 Mb of EDO RAM, a DX-CDR100 CD-ROM (52X), and a Maxtor D740X-6L 40GB HDD. I currently have the HDD disconnected and the CD-ROM in the Primary IDE Master slot, which is not where it started. I also tried the HDD in the primary master and the CD in the secondary master. It also has a 3.5" floppy drive, which has been problematic at best.
The computer I got to boot the live CD is a little newer, and also has been rebuilt for me by a friend, and frankly I'm not too sure of the specs.

So, in short, a Linux noob needs help getting his stuff unstuck, and it's probably something that most everyone running Linux has either gone through or knew enough to completely circumvent, but I'm ignorant like that. And I have no friends running Linux, I went into this totally unprepared. I'm currently waiting on "Linux for Dummies" from the library.