Thanks for all the interest and replies. Don't misunderstand I use abuntu regularly I have loaded and used Knoppix and DSL which is amazing cnsidering its size plus red hat 8 and open suse and mint linux I run a samba media server running ubuntu in a windws 2003 /2008 enterprise network. Hwever the pint I am making is this:- the first time I ever tried a linux install was red hat 5 After working out how t get it up and running I was confronted with a window with the next button off screen. I made a USB boot pen with Knoppix with the intention of using it as a rescue device to recover data from damaged laptops. As soon as xwindows loads I am confronted with an oversized window with buttons off screen and no input devices. This was the case on a Samsung nc10 laptop an hp 7900 desktop a lanovo R61e laptop. Now I can make the USB pen work because I am a computer geek like you. The point I am making is that if ordinary users are going to take the trouble to download files and make boot pens and try out this software it has to work or they are going to go back to windows which works out of the box. This is a real shame because linux is a real alternative. Some kind of standardisation is required.