On Tuesday 23 November 2004 08:29 am, Lanman wrote:
> Ron Hunter-Duvar wrote:
> > On November 22, 2004 15:38, Lanman wrote:
> >>Ron Hunter-Duvar wrote:
> >
> > ...
> >
> >>>Just a wild guess, but it sounds like there might be something in the
> >>>BIOS or the drive (or something to do with the BIOS/motherboard/drive
> >>>combination) that's preventing writing to the MBR. Perhaps something
> >>>intended to prevent boot sector viruses (someone with the Windoze only
> >>>mindset might have decided that you don't need to ever change the MBR;
> >>>the same "we know best" mindset that keeps them from letting you turn
> >>> off the abs brakes or the air bags in your car, and keeps pilots from
> >>> taking evasive action in fly-by-wire planes).
> >>>
> >>>Try looking for an "MBR write protect" BIOS setting or drive jumper.
> >>>Maybe even a motherboard jumper.
> >>>
> >>>Or maybe it has some of the new DRM ("Denial of your Right to Modify")
> >>>technology from M$. You might have to go to Redmond on bended knee and
> >>>kiss Gates' ring for permission to install non-M$ software. Google
> >>>"Trustworthy Computing" for details.
> >>
> >>Ron, Nice try, but I don't DO Windows here at my shop except for clients
> >>who are emotionally dependant or otherwise addicted to a lack of
> >>imagination.
> >
> > I didn't mean to imply that you would ever dirty your hands with Windoze
> > :^). I just mean that many (most?) hardware manufacturers are so smitten
> > with/cowed by/beholden to M$ that they refuse to even acknowledge the
> > existence of real operating systems such as Linux, and actively
> > participate in the interference with said operating systems. Winmodems
> > are an obvious example of this.
>
> No offense taken. Thought you might be teasing anyway, so no harm, no foul.
>
> > In fact, I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure it was Asus that was in
> > the news recently for breaking the ethernet on their motherboards in a
> > way that makes it only work with Windoze but not with Linux, and
> > responding to complaints with "we don't support Linux on our
> > motherboards".
>
> I don't think I saw that article, but I recently installed an Asus
> P4R800-VM motherboard and it was sweet from the get-go. First time that
> onboard video didn't lag the system down at all. Everything was detected
> and is running perfectly on that one.
>
> > The whole "Trustworthy Computing" initiative is an attempt by M$ and the
> > cooperative hardware manufacturers to make it both illegal and
> > technically impossible to run any OS other than Windoze. They are
> > planning to build strong encryption into hard drives, cd drives, etc.,
> > with M$ holding the private keys, to prevent the booting of any other OS.
> > With the DMCA, it will be a criminal act in the US, earning you jail
> > time, to make any attempt to circumvent these controls. Sounds very
> > paranoid and 1984'ish, but it's true. Of course, given their track record
> > building new versions of Windoze, we might never see this in our
> > lifetimes :^)
>
> GRRR! I know what you mean and I hope that it never happens.
> Theoretically this would bring about another DOJ suit against Microsoft,
> which of course would accomplish little or nothing - again!
>
> >>Speaking of Windows, my new HP ZD7000 laptop (for example),was quickly
> >>de-loused using Mandrake 10.1 and except for the typical Winmodem
> >>uselessness and a laptop that sucks battery power (due to the Intel
> >>P4-3.2Ghz CPU and 17" display) faster than the TGV in France, it's been
> >>sweet. Ya gotta love this stuff. I'd rather go without a modem than run
> >>Windows.
> >
> > Couldn't agree more. My employer still forces me to work on Windoze, but
> > is sluggishly moving toward Linux desktops (lots of Linux servers). And I
> > had to hold my nose and set up a dual boot of Win98 on one machine, to
> > run one obscure Windoze only app (don't ask), but I unplug the ethernet
> > cable before I boot into it, and I don't allow any new software to be
> > installed on it.
>
> I'm thinking about getting a car battery or a Marine battery. That
> should improve the battery life a bit as long as I can regulate the
> voltage to the laptop. Sigh! In for a penny, in for a hundred pounds!
> Don't think it'll fit into my laptop bag though.
>
> >>I'm going to check the owners manual for the motherboard to see if there
> >>is a write protect jumper but there's definitely nothing in the BIOS
> >>that mentions a boot virus protection option. Only one to allow
> >>automatic BIOS Updates and I tried that both on and off to see if it was
> >>responsible.
> >>
> >>Either it's a jumper, it was never there in the first place or Asus
> >>forgot to include it in subsequent BIOS updates. As previously
> >>mentioned, I am keeping a large hammer nearby in case of emergency or
> >>extreme frustration.
> >
> > I can't remember who said this, but "if it sticks, force it; if it
> > breaks, it needed fixing anyway".
>
> Think that was my Dad. At least that's how he used to fix the reception
> on our TV a long time ago. Then he got smart - he trained us kids to do
> it for him! We got real good at clobbering that thing just right!
>
> Like the expression goes,...When I was YOUR age, I had to walk all the
> way across the living room to change channels! Grin!
I'm having a similar problem except that the box *had* mandrake 10.0 on it I
reformatted the drive (don't ask) and tried to install 10.1 the install
terminatesafter i hit enter to install also i lose any input to the screen
--
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