[SOLVED] Lite 2.6 stopped loading at Splash screen

[nublix]

Have you made any modifications, changed anything, installed any software since you first installed LL? Please state any change, no matter how minor.

Oh thank you for fixing the image. I'll do better next time. I don't know if the following constitutes changes but-

My machine wouldn't boot from the USB stick, even though the USB ports work quite well. Using some types of CD & DVDs only shut down the machine so I avoided using them when I can. Anyway, this was the first time I ever tried booting from a USB. Changing the boot order didn't help either. So I used PLoP and RawWrite on a Floppy to change the boot order so I could install LL from the stick. LL installed quite well, even when I removed the Floppy and the USB.

On LL, I did the updates, changed the desktop background, connected my HP MF printer and that's about it; can't recall doing anything else. I looked around, menu, software manager -was looking for GUFW- didn't find it before I shut down for the night. And on starting up the following day, it froze.

It's quite an old XP machine so age could be it?

thanks for keeping at this.

[Valtam]

Is the BIOS up to date?

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product...rd-D915GAV

[nublix]

Is the BIOS up to date?

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product...rd-D915GAV

Yes. It's got the latest version -EVA91510A.86A.0842.

An interesting thing I noted. While it's loading there's this 'loading bar' happening and about 2 thirds of the way a sound like when a song is playing and it skipped or scratched a bit before continuing. Don't know what that means.

I may just reinstall LL and see what happens.

Thanks for troubleshooting. I do appreciate the time you're taking to do this  .

[Valtam]

All the bios's listed start with 'EVA91510A.86A.0842' take a look at the 'Version (status)' column.

[nublix]

All the bios's listed start with 'EVA91510A.86A.0842' take a look at the 'Version (status)' column.

Status column says 0842. Am I looking at the right one?




The year is different so don't know if that's the difference. My machine says:

OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name
System Manufacturer INTEL_
System Model D915GAV_
System Type X86-based PC
Processor x86 Family 15 Model 4 Stepping 9 GenuineIntel ~3066 Mhz
BIOS Version/Date Intel Corp. EV91510A.86A.0482.2006.0222.2350, 2/22/2006
SMBIOS Version 2.3
Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS
System Directory C:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "5.1.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-2111)"
User Name
Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Total Physical Memory 1,536.00 MB (RAM upgraded to 4GB)
Available Physical Memory 828.23 MB
Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB
Available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB
Page File Space 3.34 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys

[torreydale]

That is odd.  Since the dates are off, you might want to run what's listed as the latest BIOS just to be sure.

[rokytnji]

I refurbish old gear given to me by my local city hall. These units come in all kinds of condition from being cached with dust to just plain broke.

First. To rule out power supply or other motherboard problems. I'd pop in a Puppy or Sltiaz live cd and run this video over night to make sure things are not going to break.



This test puts certain stress tests on computer components like sound, video card, power supply, motherboard,video card. If everything looks OK.
Then I proceed to buy a hard drive for the unit.  Usually a new one, but if IDE is involved. Then I settle for used. Because they pull the drives before giving me the units.  Even the  caddies. But for free. I cannot complain.

I never worry about the bios yet. Usually time settings not sticking after shutdown are bios battery related. Which basically means the bios battery is goid dead/bad.
They are usually just watch batteries one can get at a store,  for a desktop tower. Laptops are different since wires are involved.

Sounds to me like maybe a hardware glitch. I would re-seat  the connector at the hard drive 1st. If problem continues. Then swap that drive with a known good working drive off my shelf and re-test with a fresh install.

If it stays broke. I gut and keep the screws, drives, ram, case, cables (ide and sata), plus any removable zif stuff. And call it day.
I am not saying this is what is wrong with your computer or that you need to do what I do.

Just letting you know how I re-furbish old units so to give to old seniors I know on fixed incomes who cannot afford buying a computer in my small town.
Which is why city hall gives me their old units when they upgrade their gear to Windows 10.

My Dell 755 wireless tower and E5500 laptop I have posted with on this forum are some of those units. I kept tower on a mobile wheeled stand for the shop I have.

[nublix]

Well, I didn't know if I could get in the BIOS as F2 only brings me back to the GNU Grub screen where I have 4 options:
(1) Linux Lite 2.6 . . .
(2) Advance options . . .

I thought I had nothing much to lose here so I went to see where Advance options. . . would take me. It took me to a screen with several options and the last or second to last options (can't quite recall now) was a choice of Recovery mode??. . . anyway I hit that.

Went through of bunch of rapidly scrolling text then informed me: Errors found on / . . . Press F to fix - and yes, I pressed F
then, Errors found on /home. . . Press F to fix and again I pressed F.  It went on to say I'd have to press restart once I logged into Lite.

Within a few seconds I was at the login screen. I logged in, got the grey feathered screen, I restarted, it did the loading thing, no hang ups, took me to the login screen and my own new dtop background.

I restarted once more, went okay. Shut down and restarted and all is okay.

If this holds out -then I'd say I'm okay unless I really and truly have to do something about the BIOS and hdware testing so for now, I'm happily saying, 'sufficient unto the day, the evil thereof' .

However, my question before the hang ups started was how to change the calendar that shows on the task bar? It's not in English and changing region etc. did not fix it.

Thanks ever so much to all for sticking with me and helping. It makes wanting to use LL worthwhile .

EDIT:  fixed the calendar issue via Language Support.

[Valtam]

Do:

Code:

sudo dmidecode -t bios -q

[nublix]

Do:

Code:

sudo dmidecode -t bios -q

:~$ sudo dmidecode -t bios -q
[sudo] password for:
BIOS Information
Vendor: Intel Corp.
Version: EV91510A.86A.0482.2006.0222.2350
Release Date: 02/22/2006
Address: 0xF0000
Runtime Size: 64 kB
ROM Size: 512 kB
Characteristics:
PCI is supported
PNP is supported
APM is supported
BIOS is upgradeable
BIOS shadowing is allowed
Boot from CD is supported
Selectable boot is supported
EDD is supported
Japanese floppy for NEC 9800 1.2 MB is supported (int 13h)
Japanese floppy for Toshiba 1.2 MB is supported (int 13h)
5.25"/360 kB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
5.25"/1.2 MB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
3.5"/720 kB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
3.5"/2.88 MB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
Print screen service is supported (int 5h)
8042 keyboard services are supported (int 9h)
Serial services are supported (int 14h)
Printer services are supported (int 17h)
CGA/mono video services are supported (int 10h)
ACPI is supported
USB legacy is supported
AGP is supported
LS-120 boot is supported
ATAPI Zip drive boot is supported
BIOS boot specification is supported
Function key-initiated network boot is supported

BIOS Language Information
Language Description Format: Abbreviated
Installable Languages: 1
enUS
Currently Installed Language: enUS