Can't boot from CD-ROM on an old machine

[azzey]

Hello everyone,

I have a particularly weird thing going on with an older (very old, actually) PC.

Specs:
Asus PT-2006 motherboard (Socket 7)
Intel Pentium-S @200Mhz
Fujitsu HDD 6gb
64mb RAM

Those are the main things.

This machine was used as a headless server / router running IPCop for the last year or so, no problems whatsoever. Recently I moved and no longer needed it as a headless server, so I thought I would install a light Linux distro on it and use it for internet.

The problem is that despite everything I try, it will simply not boot from the CD-ROM drive. It detects everything okay in the BIOS, and gets though the POST. It's hanging right before it boots (regardless of whether there is a CD in the drive or not) with the following text:


Verifying DMI Pool Data ......
Boot from ATAPI CD-ROM :
(with a blinking cursor on the last line)

At first I thought the CD-ROM drive was shot because it's 5 or 6 years old, so I put in a new one. Same problem. I have the HDD in Master and CD in Slave. If I put anything in CS, it doesn't detect either. If I put CD in Master and HDD in Slave, same problem. If I boot without the HDD, same problem. If I try and boot without any drives, I get an error about inserting a system disk.

If I try and boot without the CD-ROM, it will try to boot from the HDD and stops (obviously) because there is no OS. If I put in the old hard drive with IPCop, it will boot IPCop fine.

I have tried setting PIO modes from 0 to 4 with no success.

I know that it had booted from CD in the past, because I was able to install IPCop. Also, I remember having the same problem but can't remember how I fixed it.

So, any insight is appreciated.

[Paul Komski]

Is the boot cd actually a bootable CD and is it a DIY (CDR/CDRW disk) or a retail pressed CDROM?

The code posted shows normal detection of the CD-ROM (while a boot sector is sought on it) but its bootable section is not being caught by the boot processes. This is a common enough problem with some, especially unclosed, media - particularly if created on a different optical device. You could have a look with isobuster to see if there actually is a boot section at all on the CD.

[azzey]

Hi Paul,

The CD was burnt from an ISO file, and works fine elsewhere, including the same CD drive I'm using but on a different computer. Also, the system still hangs even if there is no disk in the drive.

[Paul Komski]

If the same combo of CD and drive works OK in another system then maybe try SBM (link in my sig) from a floppy or installed onto the hard drive, whereby it should give you a boot menu, which normally includes the CDROM amongst the options.

[Sylvander]

Computer stops at verifying dmi pool data. (http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000474.htm)

[Rick]

You say the cd is/was connected as slave

I will assume you have them both on the same Ide channel

That may be the cause
On some older systems the atapi cd-rom boot only worked with the cd-rom set as master and installed on the second ide channel

Attach a second cable to the second ide connector and connect the cd to that with it set as master

As always make sure it is enabled in the bios and that it is listed first in the boot order in the bios

[Paul Komski]

If I try and boot without the CD-ROM, it will try to boot from the HDD and stops (obviously) because there is no OS.
Does this stop with a message such as "No operating system found" or with no message at all? And can you boot to the CD if the ipcop drive is attached in place of the other HDD?

[boucbaz]

If your reader is a dvd reader, the bios won't permit it even if you put in a cd, specially if it is an old IBM. Just in case?

[Paul Komski]

If your reader is a dvd reader, the bios won't permit it even if you put in a cd, specially if it is an old IBM. Just in case?
How does an older BIOS distinguish between recognition of a DVD and CD ATAPI device? I was not aware of this and a reference would be useful. An ancient BIOS might well not boot from any ATAPI device but that is a separate issue.