Thinkpads Forum

I have an ancient but steady-as-a-rock A22m Thinkpad, that had been running Linux Mint LXDE #9. I upgraded to Mint LXDE #10, and when it was booting it would always show something about "Refusing to load module such-and-such. IBM system detected, may harm something-or-other"
After an update the other day, it wouldn't load the operating system. It would boot OK, but when it tries to go to the operating system, all I have is a blinking cursor in the upper right hand corner. I was able (once, after retrying several times) to reload Mint, and it worked ..until I updated again. Since than it hasn't worked, and when I try other operating systems or live cd's they don't load. Several, such as Puppy Linux and Vector just show a cursor that stops shortly after the boot sequence tries to start, as the GUI doesn't show what the problem is. But a few start up with a terminal type of interface, and when that happens it always stops at a line that says "IRQ", which to me looks like something that might suggest the connection between the CPU and the nothbridge and/or the southbridge. I really have no idea, and was wondering if anyone knew anything about this. I know it's an oldie, but it's always amazed me how well it works.
Thanks.

Do you have a diskette drive? Run PC-Doctor for DOS, all tests, and concentrate on the Hard Drive tests.
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... IGR-4JRMNE

Thanks, I'll try that. Wonder what will happen without having a DOS filesystem!? Can't hurt though. Tried to get gparted to run, and it stopped at the "IRQ" line same as the others.

I would be handy to know the exact error, ie. what does that "IRQ line" say - use paper and pencil.

You can try boot off a sysrescd (http://www.sysresccd.org/Download) and use vga=0.

If it still doesn't boot, try disabling APIC and ACPI completely, as a temporary workaround, add "acpi=off noapic" to that "vga=0". If the kernel is unable to allocate IRQs, try "biosirq" as well. Sysrescd should boot in verbose mode, so you should see where the problem is, assuming it doesn't stop at bootloader. Try booting with vga=0 first, to catch the actual error.