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  #16  
Old August 21st, 2010, 07:31 AM
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Jaytee Jaytee is offline
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The other thing is that sometimes an update will "fix" a problem..
Hoping that is the case for you Dave.
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  #17  
Old August 21st, 2010, 07:44 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lufbra View Post
asking for a password, then asking for a #. It didn't give any idea of what this number was, but without it I couldn't go any further!
I also do have the latest Mint downloaded, for just in case I need it...LOL!!
Dave I think this might a hash number that the computer issues to a user to de-encrypt the home folder. I saw this on a recent install of Ubuntu.
It made a once only offer to the user to write down the Hash number "in case it would be needed"
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  #18  
Old August 23rd, 2010, 11:07 AM
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Dave,
The consensus seems to be that your system encountered a bad sector or sectors and the resulting screen loads of errors were file system check (fsck) doing its thing to fix the problem(s) they recommend that you go for a coffee and wait for the final outcome.
Usually a fix by the seem of things.
You can check the log by going to /var/log/boot.log if it is over long you may need to delete it. It should get rewritten for next boot.
Hope this is helpful
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  #19  
Old August 23rd, 2010, 10:48 PM
lufbra lufbra is offline
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Thanks Jaytee, but now I'm finding more problems with the actual computer.....When it boots up I get a different message, and suggesting to back up everything important. I then hit F2 (the only key it prompts to use), then I get the screen showing all different kinds of thing, but nothing that can really tell me (help me) in resolving the problem!
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  #20  
Old August 24th, 2010, 01:44 AM
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You _did_ download and install a stable version?? not next weeks model...
I am unfamiliar with PCLinux but would expect some form of error reporting and a suggested possible solution which may not not make sense to you
eg "can't do foo: suggest you try sudo (sudo may not get a mention) --f foo
Not exactly so but you may get my drift. If you can find or remember any of the errors please post them as Kage ,Dodge and Smurfy are just dying to fix this for us...
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  #21  
Old August 24th, 2010, 11:20 AM
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You're doing OK JT.
Quote:
When it boots up I get a different message, and suggesting to back up everything important. I then hit F2 (the only key it prompts to use), then I get the screen showing all different kinds of thing,
Sounds like a dying hard disk Dave.

A bit late now, but a couple of interesting points -
1stly, your Linux versions are booting with a splash screen covering all the important boot information. You can switch to viewing the boot sequence text by pressing ALT+F2 during the bootup. Then it won't disappear so quickly and you can get a better idea of where it is failing.

2ndly, The Linux boot process is usually a little more in-depth than Windows so will test and report failures for things Windows may miss. As JT says, if you can access it, the boot.log should have the messages logged.

3rdly, in the case of failing hard disks, if a dual boot system is on seperate physical disks, one O/S may boot up fine and the other may fail if one of the disks is dodgy.
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  #22  
Old August 24th, 2010, 02:10 PM
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hypnotizeminds hypnotizeminds is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lufbra View Post
I re-booted the computer and it "stuck" on boot up, asking for a password, then asking for a #. It didn't give any idea of what this number was, but without it I couldn't go any further!
I may be wrong, but it sounds more like you're logging in with root access. That's what the pound sign (#) means in a shell.
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  #23  
Old August 25th, 2010, 04:42 AM
lufbra lufbra is offline
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Originally Posted by smurfy View Post
You're doing OK JT.

Sounds like a dying hard disk Dave.
That's what I've been fearing all along especially after trying to install Vista onto the machine, and it telling me it needs a NTFS set up!!

So I guess before doing anything else I may as well shop around for a new hard drive, then I may try installing Vista, and see if I can create a partition for a Linux set up.
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  #24  
Old August 27th, 2010, 10:34 PM
lufbra lufbra is offline
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Here's the latest. I bought the computer from our local Staples, and purchased an extended warranty with it. I just got off the phone with them, and now have to take the computer back in so's they can install a new hard drive foe free.
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  #25  
Old August 28th, 2010, 12:15 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lufbra View Post
Here's the latest. I bought the computer from our local Staples, and purchased an extended warranty with it. I just got off the phone with them, and now have to take the computer back in so's they can install a new hard drive foe free.
Hah! That was a cunning stunt. Hope it all works out and you can get you linux box up and running again....
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  #26  
Old September 7th, 2010, 04:52 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lufbra View Post
That's what I've been fearing all along especially after trying to install Vista onto the machine, and it telling me it needs a NTFS set up!!
Not sure how you did the Installation/partitioning. But, Windows will need to be on an NTFS Partition and linux will use something like Ext2 etc. So if you paritioned and formatted the entire drive for linux, then you will have to use FDISK from a DOS bootup disk to format the drive back to Fat/Fat32 and continue with your Vista setup from there.

Just for future information that is.
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  #27  
Old September 11th, 2010, 07:13 AM
leenco12 leenco12 is offline
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Originally Posted by craisin View Post
I only say that as I have had problems before when chopping and changing and using XP as well
And Ive done a mem test and there is red in the test results so I replace the modules with ones that test and come out with blue test results
And I use second hand RAM and its possible the RAM has faults before I get it maybe from graphics cards of different brands
Sometimes it pays to disable the Quick Boot option in the BIOS to give you time to read the errors
It is possible that you dont have that option in the BIOS
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  #28  
Old October 10th, 2010, 03:56 AM
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Dave,
Did you get a resolve to your problem?
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  #29  
Old October 10th, 2010, 05:37 AM
lufbra lufbra is offline
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Who me? If so I got the computer back with a new HD in it which turns out being larger than the original one, it has Windows Vista installed which was the original OS.

I haven't yet ventured back to trying to add a Linux set up onto the computer. I know there's enough HD space and then some, I just haven't fathomed out how to sreate partitions properly, which is what I'd want to do.
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  #30  
Old October 10th, 2010, 08:42 AM
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Yes you...
I am not sure about PC Linux but some of the popular distributions eg Ubuntu, Fedora and others have a real nice feature that partitions the hard drive for you automatically (after you approve it) giving Windows some breathing space and allowing room for the new image to be installed.
It took me a long time to get comfortable (being a non geek) with the new o/s but now I totally prefer it to any of the others I have experienced...
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