usb boot

hi i downloaded gparted to try and format an external harddrive to fat 32, this morning the machine will not start up i have made a recovery disk but there is no option to boot from usb only IDE 0: p-ssd1800 or network boot: legacy pci device,
could anybody help please. if possible i would like to just run windows

 

help please!!!!! got linux back on is there a simple way of getting windows on my machine to avoid all this messing about, linux is probably a really good thing but i really dont have the time to mess about with it should i just buy a new machine ?. I would also like to keep linux if possible so i can try and learn it when possible

 

The USB must be plugged in when you turn the computer on. F12 to get the boot menu, and choose the USB.

As to "learning" Linpus -- um... no such thing, really. It is a fixed function suite for your netbook. Browsing, IM, WP, and some other stuff. Even DVD playback if you have a suitable external DVD.

And that's it.

 

What a load of hogwash. Enable the advanced desktop, and you have a fully functional fast lean Linux distro, which is fine as an introduction to the *nix world.
[rant]
Problem is that in this state of the world, comprising of a couple of generations who have the attentionspan of the average MTV music video duration, people do not take the time to figure out how things really work. Instead they tend to blame the device, instead of realising that it is a Error 40 situation - The error is located approxmately 40 centimeters from the screen : A non-functional brain.
[rant off]

Ahh that feels so much better, and I didn't even need to take an extra dose of the fine red and orange pills .

 

DutchDK

Did you actually READ the two-part request? The part that says:

"linux is probably a really good thing but i really dont have the time to mess about with it should i just buy a new machine?"

Are you actually going to blame the buyer here? Ok, if that's how you feel about it. I decided to indicate that the learning curve isn't really there for most uses of this computer; simply try the supplied applications. The user CAN GROW INTO IT LATER. Even better, it fits and there will be no need for such changes (advanced menu? even if useful, I am SURE that the user will find it a crock). PS. check my posting history here.

 

Yes I am going to blame the user - Acer did not force him to buy the AAO with Linpus on - That was solely his choice, since Acer also makes the AAO available with Windows on it. You get what you pay for. I have the AAO A110L with the 8 GB SSD by choice, since the lightweight device with as few moving parts as possible, is a benefit for the tasks I use the device with.

I switch between OS's according to what I need to do : Simple use while traveling, such as gaming, webbrowsing and thelike - Dump the partimage with XP onto the SSD. Advanced networking, such as security auditing, rogue accesspoint hunting, honeypot setup, network analysis or just plain wardriving - Dump the Linpus partimage with wireshark, Kismet Newcore, metasploit etc onto the SSD, or use Backtrack from a 8 GB sandisk cruzer USB key. Normal wordprocessing and such on the road - Dump the standard Linpus partimage onto the SSD, or if I want to backup or diagnose pc's, boot SystemRescueCD from a 1 GB USB. In each case where I reload the SSD with another OS, it takes at most 15 minutes to do it across the LAN with Partimaged and Partimage. I can even do it out on site over the internet securely through a VPN, during a lunchbreak, if necessary.

The reason I can do it, is because I took the time into finding out HOW to use my OS, whether it is Windows or various Linux distro's.
Linpus is a fast and lean fully featured Linux distro out of the box just by enabling the right click menu, and as it is delivered out of the box, it covers the tasks 95 % of the regular users need. If you are one of the last 5 %, you can find out how to make it do what you need, just by spending on average 10 minutes on a google search. But since the average MTV music video only lasts 3 minutes and 18 seconds..... You get my hint, right ?

I've been hacking and (ab)using hardware and OS's since the late nineteenseventies, used the Internet since it was called ARPAnet, run my own BBS when a 1200/75 modem was considered fast and posted on both Usenet, Fidonet echoes, and webbased forums, been drunk at countless hacker and industrial cons over the years, seen great and not so great hacks, apps and OS's appear and dissapppear. And from that background I can tell you that Joe Average User's attention span has gone down considerably . Heck, I'm one of those who think that ESR's (Eric S. Raymond, one of the Internet oldtimers) essay on how to ask questions the smart way, should be mandatory reading for anybody who wants to post on a BBS, Usenet forum, or webbased forum . (For those interested in reading the essay : http://catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html ).

I try to give good advice on the forums, but once in a while I end up having the choice between banging my head repeatedly down on the keyboard, or posting a rant. I chose the latter option in this thread, since I just hate having mirrored imprints of letter keys on my forehead. Just bear with me, and I'll soon return to posting sound advice on the forums again

 

When i say learnining linux i mean how to do general stuff like downloading program's etc, I haven't been playing with computers since the seventies, i have had 1 machine with vista hence me asking questions i appolagise if this has offended you in some way

 

Okay I have the same problem as the person who originally posted. I do want to know how linux works but I can't download programmes, don't know what security, if any is needed to be able to safely use sites like amazon online ie, keeping credit details safe. I am more than happy to use linux if someone will explain how to do the above. I would like to learn how to use it but somehow even the 'newbie' posts are complicated! Please reach back in your mind, especially the person who made the comment of small brains and remember what it's like to be confused by something. Knowledge is simple, you either know the answers or you don't.

Ps. If people don't know the answers to the above how do you swap linpus for windows so that it doesn't run like a snail. I know there are posts but I'm not even sure how to boot win or anything else onto usb! I would appreciate any help on offer. I am computer literate but only with windows I am annoyed to discover. Stupidly I thought with enough research I could figure linpus out.

 

Hi cookoospite i have ended up binning the linux completely and intalled window 7 which looks pretty good up to now, the only issue i had was it only left 1gb of space but i just bought a cheap 8gb sd, i would have liked to keep the linux but i couldn,t understand the guides for a start, although one guy on here said i must have no attention span i did spend a lot of time trying to understand it

 

cookoospite

Basically, I'm going to tell you "Don't worry". You won't have to do anything with "security" - it's just safe. As to downloading programs... for now, don't.

After you become familiar, you will want to enable the pop-up menu, and then use software install. Single place to install software from, signed and checked. Several thousand applications available.

But, get familiar with the web browser, email, IM, etc. And go have a look at

http://www.acer.com/aspireone/support/files/files.html

This will give some more Acer applications, including Skype.

Above all, don't stress and have some fun.