Computer dead, lost only a couple pages of a new rewrite.

[SeverinR]

OK, feel free to share if you like. It's up to you. I can probably recommend a distro that will boot if your computer is set to boot from CD. Sometimes you have to bring up a boot menu or go into the BIOS and make sure the CD drive is set as one of the boot options, or it will simply never try to read the disk. Sounds like it read it in your case, but failed to boot.

I am writing from a linux working laptop, tried the other laptop and it worked.
Its "full disro extravaganza

What Linux word processor works most like MS word? inexpensive would be great. I can get MS office for 19.99, but I can't get reduced prices on other programs.

 

[Steerpike]

LibreOffice is free and is probably the best in terms MS Office-like software.

 

[SeverinR]

computer fooled me.
Running linux from dvd only.
Did not load.
So I have a dumb terminal with no hard drive.
I can use the net, but can't save anything.
I can load pictures to upload on the net, but if I shut down I think they are gone.
Better then nothing, but not ready to write again.

 

[Steerpike]

You should still be able to mount the hard drive and save to it. Once the DVD is up and running there should also be an option to install the OS to the hard drive.

 

[SeverinR]

Mounting a hard drive, isn't that illegal? :0

The hard drive in both computers are damaged/corrupted. The better one will start to load then error out and will not even run from DVD. This one the DVD will bring it up, but will not load.
Nothing in the "setup" section will work. Unable to change any settings.

Have found a desktop with dual OS Windows XP(prof)/linux (same one the computer is runnning from DVD) UR-something.) for 50 with more mem and larger hard drive then better laptop, or could spend $50 to see if I could get the laptop fixed. Better on limited budget to go for the known.
I will use linux for surfing, and Windows XP to use microsoft office. Hoepfully next payday.

 

[Steerpike]

Severin:

You might also look at Peppermint OS, which is a free linux distro centered around the cloud. If you have internet connectivity, then you can work with cloud apps such as Google docs. Of course, you can do that with any distro, but Peppermint is focused on it.

Also, in the same way you create a live CD to boot linux, you can use a free program called unetbootin to create a live USB stick that is bootable (assuming your computer can boot from USB), and then it will load up just like the linux Live CD except that the live USB can reserve space for you to save files.

I agree for $50 you might as well buy the one you know works then try to fix the laptop if the problem is unknown. If you "know" it is a hard drive failure in the laptop, though, that's easy to fix if you buy a replacement drive.