problems loading mint 14 xfce on thinkpad t60

[joincoolkidclub]

I also put this in the hardware section, hope I'm not violating any rules: Admin note: Ah, yes it does . Locking other thread.

I have spent hours and hours trying to figure this out myself, so if I am missing something simple- please forgive me.

I am trying to load Mint 14 (XFCE) on a 2007 ThinkPad T60. I just installed a new SSD after the old hard drive crashed.

I mistakenly put the file on a CD not realizing the file was over 700 MB. However, the computer gives me the initial 'Linux Mint' page before shooting an error message.

I have since tried burning the OS on two different DVDs using two different ISO sources using my wife's Mac. The ThinkPad doesn't recognize these discs.

I also moved the ATA into 'compatibility mode' but this did nothing.

Now the computer won't even recognize plop on a CD to try booting from a pen-drive.

Any ideas?

[joincoolkidclub]

Update: I tried creating a bootable usb drive but BIOS is still not recognizing anything.

[Elchund]

To start with the obvious: Did you change the boot order? F12 or change it in bios. If so, are you sure your cd drive is ok? I have a few older thinkpads that can read most cds, but they struggle with live cds and install disks. Try with an external cd drive.

I would also download the distro image again, or perhaps another image like ubuntu, burn it to a new disk and try again. You should at least be able to run something like ubuntu as a live cd, if not the fault is probably in your cd drive or your settings.

I installed ubuntu 12.04 to a new hard drive (not ssd) in my x60 last year and it was a smooth and fast install.

Elchund

[joincoolkidclub]

Thanks for the reply:

-I did indeed prioritize the DVDRAM drive when booting from discs (CD-R, DVD-R, DVD+R) and then USB when running from a bootable thumb drive.

-I tried installing Mint 10 (instead of the 'current' 14) as an alternative but didn't have any luck with that either. Would trying a whole 'nother distro make a difference?

If you happen to have any other ideas, I'm quite desperate.

[Neil]

No harm in trying another distro...you may have just had a bad download though. It happens, more often that not with some distros. Did you check the MD5SUM before burning to disk or prepping the USB drive?

[joincoolkidclub]

Tried another distro with no luck. Also, I was struggling to check the MD5SUM on a mac, so figured trying a variety of distros would make that move superfluous.

Any other ideas?

[Neil]

Just scanned through your posts again, and I don't see any mention of the methods used to burn the DVD or prep the USB drive. In either case, you cannot just copy the files to a USB drive, or burn a data DVD. You must burn the DVD as an ISO, using ISO mode in you burning app, and you must use a tool like unetbootin or dd to make a bootable USB drive. Is that what you've been doing already?