GRUB stuck in HD, Error 17

[rokytnji]

If you just want to wipe the drive first and start over.

Active@ Kill Disk Hard Drive Eraser. Low Level Format.

[nichos]

Sorry Rocky, just got your post.

If Live CD is the one I burned say FluxBuntu in it always tries to install on HD & gets stuck on its Partitioning section.

Puppy does not run either, cd starts running it says press 1 to boot which brings the dreaded error from the HD.
"...GRUB Loading stage1.5
Grub Loading, please waite...
Error 17..."

[rokytnji]

On fluxubuntu, it sounds like you don't have enough ram to run the graphical installer without first making a swap partition. I have got around this sort of problem by using a GParted -- Live CD/USB/PXE/HD live cd and using it to partition my hardrive first before running graphical installer.

On Puppy Live CD I wonder if you are trying to boot the new 4.2 release which will not boot up on older computers. You need to burn and boot a Puppy Live 2.15 or 3.01 release for older equipment. Since you have not given your computer specs at all. It is hard to say what is going on.

[nichos]

yes tried these
puppy-4.2.1retro-k2.6.21.7-seamonkey
PUPPY-4.3beta1-k2.6.25.16-v423-SCSI

& downloading now this "puppy-215CE-Final.iso" rather large 132 mb

Regarding Gparted went to the site & is such a madle, can not find the download

[Jonathan183]

I found the PartedMagic CD runs on all my systems by the gparted CD would not ... having said that I have been using version 2.0

[rokytnji]

These are his specs I found after googling his model Johnathon

DESCRIPTION:
380 MHz AMD-K6®-2 Processor with 3DNow!™ Technology


64 MB SyncDRAM (upgradable to 192MB)

Integrated 4.3 GB UltraDMA hard drive


Integrated 4X DVD-ROM Drive

95 MHz system bus


Fast 512 KB Pipeline Burst Cache

No wonder Fluxubuntu stopped at Partitioning and Puppy 4.2 wouldn;t boot.

[Jonathan183]

RAM is likely to be an issue ...
Versions of Puppy and DSL should boot on the system ... the lowest spec system I have is 92MB RAM, DSL would boot but did not play with the PCMCIA ethernet card (so no net connection). Only managed to get Gentoo to run on it with fluxbox as the GUI.

... more RAM will open up options for OP - otherwise a fairly minimal install is likely to be required.

[rokytnji]

Kinda off Topic but I figured maybe you and the OP might like to know about this. They ship worldwide and it is cheap. Just in case nichos gets a Linux Distro like Damn Small Linux or Puppy installed and wishes to turn his Laptop into a Wireless Linux Laptop.

PCMCIA 802.11b network WIRELESS Adapter LAPTOP PC CARD - eBay (item 370246936041 end time Sep-16-09 19:35:57 PDT)

[nichos]

A faded sticker shows "Designed for MS Win98"

This one has 4.9gh HD & 32mb Ram, I saw similar configs as yours, but I inserted the 64mb then the 128mb synch 66mhz stick off my old Dell Lattitude & only showed 64mb Ram.

Even the "pmagic-4.4" on low ram seting is struggling for :30mnt & still trying.

It may be time to chicken out & accept the HD is unusable. If a PC fair comes near here I'll look for another. .....Thanx for all the help....nick

[Jonathan183]

The boot problem is low RAM - a new HD is not going to cure that ... more RAM will give you more options and a much faster boot time.