Re: Captive laptop

[Hendrik Boom <hendrik@topoi.pooq.com>]

On Fri, Feb 28, 2014 at 08:14:48AM -0800, Schlacta, Christ wrote:
> On Feb 28, 2014 7:59 AM, "Lennart Sorensen" <lsorense@csclub.uwaterloo.ca>
> wrote:
> >
> > On Fri, Feb 28, 2014 at 07:41:39AM -0700, R Edwards wrote:
> > > Hello,
> > > I have a persistent problem and I was hoping that the Debian install
> discs would solve it.  I have a new laptop with Windows 8 on it (was
> purchased for the hardware) and Windows is holding it prisoner.  I am
> unable to install any other Operating system on it whatsoever including
> Debian 7.4 that I downloaded from this site.  It will not allow the 'test'
> with no files installed or the full installation. I am not exactly a
> computer newbie but have only 'new' level of linux background.  I have
> tried six different OS packages from two or three different devices for
> installs and all have failed.  Windows 8 will not let any install.  Any
> chance you have an ISO that will produce a dvd disc that can be bootable
> from a bare harddrive.  The 7.4 version I downloaded gets an 'invalid
> media' message and I have tried more than one copy/download/version with
> the same results.  In the attempt to run from dvd without installing files,
> get a 'try compatibility settings' message that always fails.  I am
> apparently not the only one with this problem.  Please help.  I NEED my
> computer without the Windows garbage taking control of it.  I am even
> willing to pay for a 'guaranteed' installation disc but I try it before I
> pay as I feel Windows will defeat all comers at this point.  Looking
> forward to being proved wrong!  When I bought the laptop, I never dreamed
> that it would take months to attempt to get Windows off of it and still be
> failing.  I feel like billing Microsoft for taking my laptop prisoner but
> that would get me as far as this installation is getting....nowhere.
> >
> > If you download the installer (say DVD-1 iso or netinstall iso) and then
> > burn it as an image to the DVD:
> >
> >
> http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ca/windows7/burn-a-cd-or-dvd-from-an-iso-file
> >
> > So windows can do that apparently.
> >
> > It should then be bootable, but of course you have to tell the
> > BIOS/EFI/whatever you have, to boot from the DVD drive.
> 
> You may also have to disable secure boot.

(1) Disabling secure boot is apparently something you can do from 
within Windows.

(2) Does the laptop have and an intel processor?  Or an ARM processor?  
If it's an ARM processor you'd have to use the appropriate ARM version 
of Linux.  But you're probably still be out of luck -- some time ago 
Microsoft announced that Windows 8 on an ARM processor will be totally 
locked down.  As far as I know that hasn't been cracked yet.

-- hendrik