The computer shows a blinking cursor on any Linux system.
The computer shows a blinking cursor on any Linux system.
I set up MX Linux 21 on a machine previously using Windows 10, which was itself running Windows 7. The system has an Intel Core i3 processor. After switching to MX Linux, it started with a blinking cursor and didn’t respond to any key presses. I attempted to install CentOs 7.9, but the installation process also displayed a blinking cursor. Now the computer won’t boot at all and can’t access the disk for downloads. I’m not sure if it can even start from a USB drive. What should I do next?
Check if the optical drive is working, then copy SysrescueCD to a CD-R/W or DVD and start it. If that doesn’t work, the system may be dead and Linux won’t help. As a final option, consider booting from an external drive.
Turn off all devices including USB and see if it boots into BIOS. If it does, you’re in a better position and the system is still working, just needs new storage.
I’m unable to access any OS you suggest, since I haven’t tried them yet. My goal is to set up a Minecraft server on Docker here, rather than running it on Windows. I’m also looking for a bit of a test—planning to try a basic low-end Linux distribution, maybe something like Linux Light, and checking if the repositories remain functional.
Consider lightweight options like Linux or a simple Windows version.
Have you changed the BIOS settings from UEFI to Legacy and turned off Fast Boot? Did you burn the ISO to your USB instead of copying it? Your name is Mint, but why aren’t you installing Linux Mint Cinnamon? And since version 21 isn’t available until July, the current release is 20.3.
I'm unable to change the boot mode or use a fast boot method. Yes, I did flash it with Rufus. I'll give it another try.