My Toshiba Equium l300-140 which ran Windows Vista home premium has no option in BIOS 1.50 to boot a cd/dvd which I have bought to install Linux mint cinnamon 34 bit. The cd dvd optical drive appears to be built in Toshiba only with no option to boot from my own disc or usb. Can I make this machine bootable from a dvd?
Firstly, can you access the BIOS on start-up? Toshiba’s have various methods, depending on model - you may have to press F2, F8 or F12 to access the menu. Once that opens, there should be a menu available to allow you to boot from a disk. Try Googling “Toshiba Equium l300-140 bios menu” and try out the various methods listed.
Just for info: Mint Cinnamon is is quite a ‘heavyweight’ in the Mint family of distros and your laptop may struggle a bit, depending on the RAM installed. Also, 32bit is now being gradually phased out in favour of 64bit software - worth checking to see if yours is 64bit capable. If it is 32bit only, there are other, lighter, versions of Mint (or alternatives to) that will do the job just as well without the ‘bells and whistles’ of Cinnamon - it depends on your own requirements as to usage.
Hope this helps,
Rich
Hi Trenchcoat.
If your machine is 32-bit then you might find this link for Mint MATE useful: Asus Eee Pc X101ch Mint installation: Start With Linux Mint MATE - Linux Mint Forums. The article is aimed at the Asus Eee Pc X101ch, but it could be relevant to your situation.
Keith
I can get into BIOS via f2 but then in Boot section there is only 1 Lan 2 fdd 3 USB memory 4 cddvd toshiba sd l622a 5 hdd. Could I use USB memory and download onto my stick a smaller version of Linux than Mint? Would this install after booting fromUSB memory?
I couldn’t trace the L300-140 — did you mean the L300-146? The L300 is definitely a 64-bit computer, so there’s not much point in using a 32-bit distro. That version of Mint will be supported until 2023, but after that it’s all over — no more 32-bit Mint. As Keith said, the Cinnamon desktop may be a bit too much for that machine. Xfce would be the best choice.
It may be a silly question, but is your disk bootable? Look at it using Windows and see that it actually has a lot of folders and files. If it just has one file, ending .iso, then you didn’t burn it correctly. If the disk is bootable, what actually happens when you choose BIOS option 4, cd/dvd?
Yes, it is 146. My mistake. Total memory 1024MB.
It ran Vista Home Premium.
My plan is to download the most appropriate Linux programme onto a 64bit memory stick along with Rufus to make it bootable then try to install that in the USB MEMORY option (which appears to me to be the only one of the five options for booting from an external source currently on the machine?)
A couple of things occur to me:
1, On machines with Windows already installed do you have to completely de-install Windows to make room for Linux and if so how do you do that? Would having two take up double the space? I actually thought that as part of the installation process you were given the option to delete or de-install Windows?
2, The point you make about 34 bit Cinnamon being time limited quite surprises me. I am motivated to switch from Windows because it is too time limited and persistently requires updates which I have no control over and which I am certain is harvesting data for third parties. You seem to be saying that Cinnamon is time limited too?
3, Which version of Linux would be most functional and easiest to install on the Equium l300 - 146 and which would you recommend for me?
Many thanks,
I made the mistake of buying a Mint Cinnamon 32 bit CD on EBay thinking that I could install it on a Satellite M70-343.
I got quite excited because I saw this lovely desktop on it after what seemed like hours and thought RESULT!
I learnt in this process that user name is mint and password is just enter.
I also learnt that it is too big to install on that machine. The guy said he would send me a CD suitable for it gratis.
Now the Equium BIOS for CD booting is locked to a specific Toshiba Cd/DVD which is numbered and may be integral or built-in. It does not appear to recognise other CDs.
My concern is that MSM are now controlling the hardware and will fight back.
I really now see them as pervasive, insidious and cynically led, like the REAL virus we need to be vaccinated against.
I had no choice about upgrading to H20 on my main computer and they store all my user names and passwords.
Sorry but I don’t understand that, how can it be too big? Or are you trying to install along side everything else that’s already on the machine and there isn’t enough room left? If so I’m afraid you’re going to have the same problem with most distros.
As for which distro to go for, looks like you need something that’s both lightweight and suitable for beginners. From my own experience (as a beginner myself) I would suggest Zorin Lite. Of all the distros I’ve tried (and I’ve tried an awful lot) I found Zorin Lite to be the quickest to boot up, and most responsive in use on a relatively under powered machine.
You could also try MX Linux, which is what I use most of the time now. Not as light as Zorin but lighter than Mint (in my opinion). I was previously using Mint and was perfectly happy with it, until a couple of months ago when I decided to install the latest version (Mint 20.2 I think). First thing was that it seemed to take twice as long to boot up, then over next week or two I had one or two other problems that I’d never had before. It was at this point I decided to look for an alternative, and settled on MX. Perfectly happy with it so far.
What you have to remember is that just because a particular distro runs perfectly well straight “out of the box” on my machine, it doesn’t always follow that it will do the same on yours. It would be impossible to create a distro that suits every bit of hardware ever made, so often a bit of trial and error is needed. I’m fortunate in that I have three machines available that I can use to experiment with and try different things, and on more than one occasion I’ve had a distro that’s worked perfectly on one, but been a right headache on another.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do, and please keep us posted with your progress.
Thank you.
“Distro” is the word for the bootable CD/DVD you can either buy or make yourself on a bootable CD/DVD?
Why are mobile phones now so much faster, smaller, more reliable and powerful than mainstream computers? Surely tablets and phones will completely replace everything?
Is it the case that on Windows 10 H20 you cannot boot by pressing any of the F buttons?
An MSM account is, of course, mandatory on our mobile phones along with Google accounts, enabling them to send timelines of all your movements, among other astonishingly invasive things.
It feels pervasive, addictive and totally habit forming.
It also feels completely impossible to avoid, evade or replace.
:‘( :’( 
I downloaded Zorin Lite os 15 64 bit on my main computer then put it on a usb stick which I then put into my Equium l300 - 146. I changed boot to USB memory Generic and now I get “Missing operatv4.5system”. This doesn’t feel complicated, it feels impossible
Trenchcoat,
If you simply copied the downloaded Zorin file to your USB stick then this won’t work. The downloaded file is an ISO file - a collection of very many files compressed into a single file. This needs to be expanded and organised into an “image” on a Live USB or Live DVD that can be used to try or install the OS onto your HDD.
Many DVD-writers have a facility for burning image files to DVD (eg Brasero) or to USB (Etcher-electron or Unetbootin). Etcher is good as it comes with a USB formatter as well.
Keith
Thank you Keith,
I used Unetbootin and am now copying files into the Equium and it appears that 64-bit Mint Cinammon 19 is on there.
What I notice is that the time is always one hour ahead.
I chose to put it in place of anything else in the hard drive. Effectively delete everything else.
Does this mean that I now need to boot from something other than USB and can use that USB stick as a portable device to override any other software on any other computer?
Don’t worry about the time difference: you can always change that under “Settings”.
Now that you have installed Mint, ensure that the USB stick is removed before booting. Your machine will try to boot from the first device listed in the “Boot Order” you have set but as the USB stick is absent will try the next device in the boot list (often the DVD) and failing that it will try your HDD where, indeed, you have put the operating system. In other words, just boot without a Live USB or Live DVD inserted and all will be fine.
If you ever want to try another OS, then booting with an appropriate Live USB or Live DVD inserted will display that OS (as long as you click on “Try without installing”!).
.... can use that USB stick as a portable device to override any other software on any other computer?Yes; your Live USB can be used to install Mint on any other computer.
Do let us know how you get on with your new Mint.
Keith
And the same Live USB can be used to diagnose and repair your OS should anything go wrong with it - a very useful function indeed. 
Keith,
I think that Mint Cinamon is much too big for the Equium machine so I need to find a smaller distro to install on it.
I got it up and running but it performed woefully taking ages to boot up then the keyboard didn’t work in Libre and the internet didn’t really work and it lagged terribly. It was just unworkable.
I did restart the machine but did not take the USB stick out. I may not have installed it properly.
I am considering using the USB stick to load Mint onto my 8gb RAM 64-bit newer Toshiba Satellite and have it there alongside Windows 10 to get used to it and compare and contrast. My Windows 10 has intermittent faults of involuntary cursor wandering and inputting of XXXXs. I had to switch it off and start it again this morning. Now there are three factors, right, hardware, software and internet provider? How can you diagnose accurately?
That machine does not appear to have F2 options for boot order so I do not know how I would set it to boot from usb?
I am assuming that if I then delete the contents of the usb stick then go back to Unetbootin and install a much lighter distro like Puppy with much lower machine system requirements then this will install on the Equium and be workable?
The appeal of the usb stick lies in the fact that you can wipe it clean at any time then load more memory onto it and make it live again through Unetbootin?
Is there any way of meeting others locally or in London in person or having real time conversations via phone or videocall?
I did restart the machine but did not take the USB stick out. I may not have installed it properly.In order to use the installed operating system you [u]must[/u] remove the USB stick, as I mentioned earlier, because you have set the boot order to boot from the Live USB if it is present, and running from the Live USB will be [u]very[/u] slow.
I am considering using the USB stick to load Mint onto my 8gb RAM 64-bit newer Toshiba Satellite and have it there alongside Windows 10 to get used to it and compare and contrast. My Windows 10 has intermittent faults of involuntary cursor wandering and inputting of XXXXs. I had to switch it off and start it again this morning. Now there are three factors, right, hardware, software and internet provider? How can you diagnose accurately?1. You can indeed use the Live USB to install Mint on your Toshiba in addition to Windows (make sure you have the 64-bit Live USB). 2. The wandering cursor [i]might[/i] be due to an ultra sensitive mouse tablet. I once found that inadvertently dragging my sleeve over the mouse tablet whilst typing on the keyboard moved the cursor - and you are not the only one to complain of this phenomenon. 3. Mysterious inputting of a string of XXXXs looks like a stuck key, and is very unlikely to be a s/w issue. One of my elderly friends has a similar problem because he will insist on eating his toast while typing and filling his keyboard with crumbs! but it could be just a worn key mechanism. 4. Diagnosing the source of the problem: If the XXXXs occur only on the "X" key and independent of what application you are running (office, email, etc) then it's a hardware issue. (and probably with any other sticky keys, too) If it only happens with one particular application (unlikely) then that would indicate a s/w issue, but I can't imagine how. Internet-based applications would not cause this problem.
That machine does not appear to have F2 options for boot order so I do not know how I would set it to boot from usb?There are several boot-access keys used by different manufacturers. The "Delete" key is a favourite, so try that, and "F12" is another.
I am assuming that if I then delete the contents of the usb stick then go back to Unetbootin and install a much lighter distro like Puppy with much lower machine system requirements then this will install on the Equium and be workable?The installation will certainly work perfectly well, but "workable" depends on the computer itself. Like you, I would expect a lighter O/S to behave quicker.
The appeal of the usb stick lies in the fact that you can wipe it clean at any time then load more memory onto it and make it live again through Unetbootin?Definitely! BUT: don't just press the delete key when you highlight the files for deletion - use [b]Shift+delete[/b] or you will simply fill up the rubbish bin on the USB stick and the available space will be reduced. And you can't [i]"load more memory onto it"[/i].
Is there any way of meeting others locally or in London in person or having real time conversations via phone or video-call?I would be very careful about passing your personal details to anyone you haven't already met and assessed as "safe". This Forum discourages it but you might find a Linux computer club on line - try https://www.meetup.com/topics/linux/gb/17/london/
Keith
TC - you are probably correct that Mint Cinnamon is too much for your rig to handle. It is the premier version within the Mint family and requires a fair amount of RAM to deal with all it’s ‘bells and whistles’.
But don’t despair - if you wish to continue with Mint (and I’m assuredly a fan) then consider switching to Mint Mate, (pronounced mar-tay) version (just as good in my opinion with a more ‘classical’ appearance and the one I use) or Mint XFCE (stripped down version of Mint but still fully functional). Other, lightweight versions of Linux are available, of course, Puppy being one of them and do work well. The reason I’ve stayed with Mint is it’s polish and stability, ease of use and, more importantly it’s user base - ergo the potential ‘pool’ of advice is huge if things do go awry - rare, but it does happen.
For more info, take a look here - About Linux Mint - Linux Mint
Rich
Many thanks for your advice and help.
It does appear from Keith’s advice that I was trying to use Mint Cinammon after failing to properly install it, not having removed the stick before re-starting the Equium, which, unfortunately, does not hold a charge on its battery and will only work with a power cable.
I am now going to have to use my USB stick again and go through the process again but this time remove the stick before re-starting the computer. I will only be able to properly assess it once it is properly installed and will only then be able to decide on future options.
So the routine is: 1, Start the Equium up after putting the usb stick in. 2, Get it to boot from the stick. 3, When it is booted and requires me to re-start the computer I then remove stick and re-start.
Will this mean that from then on the computer will boot from the hard drive into Linux as it will have been installed on the hard drive?
The learning curve has been steep for me and, I have to say, I have found this incredibly complex.
One of the issues I face is that the tab keys on the Equium do not seem to work so that the blue Unetbootin panel which first appears giving me a number of options cannot be navigated so the computer just goes into default rather than gives me the option of choosing.