Aspire One freezes during boot

> Hi guys,
> My Acer Aspire One ZG5 (Linux + 8GB SSD) freezes part way during boot,
> when it gets as far as the blue screen with the Aspire One logo.
> I can go into the setup menu, and change options and change them back
> again, but it makes no difference.
> I've also tried using the recovery DVD, using an external drive
> connected via USB. This starts off OK, unpacks the kernel, but then
> it gets stuck when it reaches the WElcome screen with the option of
> clicking on next or exit.
> I wondered whether this might be a problem with the SSD. I've even
> thought of installing XP, just to see if it works, and then
> re-installing Linux.
> Any ideas anyone?
> Thanks

> Salvador Freemanson typed on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:15:13 +0200:
>> Hi guys,
>> My Acer Aspire One ZG5 (Linux + 8GB SSD) freezes part way during boot,
>> when it gets as far as the blue screen with the Aspire One logo.
>> I can go into the setup menu, and change options and change them back
>> again, but it makes no difference.
>> I've also tried using the recovery DVD, using an external drive
>> connected via USB. This starts off OK, unpacks the kernel, but then
>> it gets stuck when it reaches the WElcome screen with the option of
>> clicking on next or exit.
>> I wondered whether this might be a problem with the SSD. I've even
>> thought of installing XP, just to see if it works, and then
>> re-installing Linux.
>> Any ideas anyone?
>> Thanks
> I don't know if this trick will work for the Acer SSD, but it works for
> some failed Asus SSD. That is just leave it on for a few hours to get it
> warmed up. Then it will work as long as you don't turn it off. Once you
> turn it off, it takes an hour or so to get it warmed up again. But this
> trick won't last long from what I have heard from others. As it will get
> worse and worse and it won't work at all at some point.
> The Asus EeePC Xandros has a check disk option. That is to hold the F9
> before Linux starts to boot. You get a number of options, like run the
> recovery or check disk. Maybe your Acer has such an option like this
> too.
> I also like your idea of trying to install XP. That sounds like a good
> plan to me. Besides a failing SSD, it could also be failing RAM. It
> could be other things as well, but I would check out both the SSD and
> RAM first. Windows is usually more forgiving of flaky RAM than other OS
> like OS/2. I don't know if Linux is as picky about well working RAM or
> not. As I haven't personally seen Linux being picky about it yet. Hope
> this helps.

> On 29/06/2009 21:21, BillW50 wrote:
>> Salvador Freemanson typed on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:15:13 +0200:
>>> Hi guys,
>>> My Acer Aspire One ZG5 (Linux + 8GB SSD) freezes part way during
>>> boot, when it gets as far as the blue screen with the Aspire One
>>> logo. I can go into the setup menu, and change options and change
>>> them
>>> back again, but it makes no difference.
>>> I've also tried using the recovery DVD, using an external drive
>>> connected via USB. This starts off OK, unpacks the kernel, but then
>>> it gets stuck when it reaches the WElcome screen with the option of
>>> clicking on next or exit.
>>> I wondered whether this might be a problem with the SSD. I've even
>>> thought of installing XP, just to see if it works, and then
>>> re-installing Linux.
>>> Any ideas anyone?
>>> Thanks
>> I don't know if this trick will work for the Acer SSD, but it works
>> for some failed Asus SSD. That is just leave it on for a few hours
>> to get it warmed up. Then it will work as long as you don't turn it
>> off. Once you turn it off, it takes an hour or so to get it warmed
>> up again. But this trick won't last long from what I have heard from
>> others. As it will get worse and worse and it won't work at all at
>> some point. The Asus EeePC Xandros has a check disk option. That is
>> to hold the
>> F9 before Linux starts to boot. You get a number of options, like
>> run the recovery or check disk. Maybe your Acer has such an option
>> like this too.
>> I also like your idea of trying to install XP. That sounds like a
>> good plan to me. Besides a failing SSD, it could also be failing
>> RAM. It could be other things as well, but I would check out both
>> the SSD and RAM first. Windows is usually more forgiving of flaky
>> RAM than other OS like OS/2. I don't know if Linux is as picky about
>> well working RAM or not. As I haven't personally seen Linux being
>> picky about it yet. Hope this helps.
> I've now installed Ubuntu Netbook Remix. Seems to work OK. The ram
> tested OK. I guess there must have been a corrupt file, but what gets
> me is that the recovery disk wouldn't install. I'll try that later,
> after I've played with the Ubuntu for a few days.

> Salvador Freemanson typed on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:43:32 +0200:
>> On 29/06/2009 21:21, BillW50 wrote:
>>> Salvador Freemanson typed on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:15:13 +0200:
>>>> Hi guys,
>>>> My Acer Aspire One ZG5 (Linux + 8GB SSD) freezes part way during
>>>> boot, when it gets as far as the blue screen with the Aspire One
>>>> logo. I can go into the setup menu, and change options and change
>>>> them
>>>> back again, but it makes no difference.
>>>> I've also tried using the recovery DVD, using an external drive
>>>> connected via USB. This starts off OK, unpacks the kernel, but then
>>>> it gets stuck when it reaches the WElcome screen with the option of
>>>> clicking on next or exit.
>>>> I wondered whether this might be a problem with the SSD. I've even
>>>> thought of installing XP, just to see if it works, and then
>>>> re-installing Linux.
>>>> Any ideas anyone?
>>>> Thanks
>>> I don't know if this trick will work for the Acer SSD, but it works
>>> for some failed Asus SSD. That is just leave it on for a few hours
>>> to get it warmed up. Then it will work as long as you don't turn it
>>> off. Once you turn it off, it takes an hour or so to get it warmed
>>> up again. But this trick won't last long from what I have heard from
>>> others. As it will get worse and worse and it won't work at all at
>>> some point. The Asus EeePC Xandros has a check disk option. That is
>>> to hold the
>>> F9 before Linux starts to boot. You get a number of options, like
>>> run the recovery or check disk. Maybe your Acer has such an option
>>> like this too.
>>> I also like your idea of trying to install XP. That sounds like a
>>> good plan to me. Besides a failing SSD, it could also be failing
>>> RAM. It could be other things as well, but I would check out both
>>> the SSD and RAM first. Windows is usually more forgiving of flaky
>>> RAM than other OS like OS/2. I don't know if Linux is as picky about
>>> well working RAM or not. As I haven't personally seen Linux being
>>> picky about it yet. Hope this helps.
>> I've now installed Ubuntu Netbook Remix. Seems to work OK. The ram
>> tested OK. I guess there must have been a corrupt file, but what gets
>> me is that the recovery disk wouldn't install. I'll try that later,
>> after I've played with the Ubuntu for a few days.
> You know I had a similar problem with my Asus EeePCs. And it turned out
> to be the cheap DVD external drives I was getting from China. Nero
> DriveSpeed showed they were awful and would error zillions of times. So
> I started using SDHC cards to install and the problem disappeared. Later
> I got one of those Samsung Slim External DVD Writer 8X USB 2.0 SE-S084
> drives and those things are solid as a rock. They are also very
> inexpensive too. Just a few bucks more than those noname ones from
> China. Nor do they seem to draw a lot of power either like the noname
> ones do.