HELP PLS: HD Crash, boot from Ubuntu/knoppix disk?

[HarrySlone]

Hello everyone!
I have a 2.33ghz intel Macbook Pro from 2006, version 2.2 I believe, formally running snow leopard.
So yesterday my HD crashed, so I am attempting to use a Ubuntu Live Cd (I also have Knoppix too) to just see the HD and attempt to pull a few key files off the drive.

The problem I'm having is that I put in the CD/DVD
(I've tried both the Ubuntu CD and the DVD one found here, http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/dvd/current/, and Knoppix 6.2.1 CD)
Boot, Immediately press "C" or "Option/Alt", and it does NOT see a CD/DVD.
I tried inserting the snow leopard disk, and it will "see" that, (I am able to use disk utiltiy ect, off the disk), so I know that the DVD drive is working, and that I am at least doing the process of getting the computer to boot of a CD/DVD correctly.
However when ever I put any of the ISO burnt CD/DVD operating systems I have tried it doesnt "see" anything.

(I have tried a knoppix 6.3.1 CD, burnt off a windows machine, a Ubuntu live CD, burnt off a windows machine, and the same Ubuntu live CD, burnt off a mac, and now I'm downloading a Ubuntu Live DVD, and will burn it on a windows machine)

So my question is does anyone have any idea why its not recognizing any of these ISO burnt CD/DVD operating systems??
How do I get it to see them?

Thanks for any help anyone can give!!

 

[bmcgonag]

While I don't have a specific answer for your question, maybe there is a work-around.

Removing the HDD isn't that hard on a MBP. You could remove it, connect it to another computer using an external drive enclosure or a SATA to USB converter (pretty cheap), and try to pull the files from it that way.

not sure that helps alot, but I know i've booted my macs off of Windows Install Discs, Linux live cds, and never had a problem. It is odd that it will boot off of your Mac install disc.

On the one's you've burnt have you tried to boot them on the windows machine you are using to create them?

 

[HarrySlone]

Thanks for replying!

Yeah I have thought about pulling the drive, but as its a macbook pro, and I would need to pull apart the casing somehow, I haven't done that yet. I know there are guides but it seems like more than I want to tackle.
I was just going to take it into an apple store or an apple authorized repair place and have them replace the drive.

I have put each of the disks in the windows machines, and they do boot into ubuntu/knoppix, so I know the disks are working.

 

[HarrySlone]

Hey everyone,
Just wanted to let everyone know that the DVD of Ubuntu 11.04 (the one downloaded in the link above) WORKED!!

Maybe the CD's of burnt live version of operating systems dont work for mac's or maybe just my mac.
In any case I just wanted to let others know in case they ever have a similar problem.

Unfortunately my personal user folder its saying I don't have permissions to access , and thus all the files and music I was hoping to get I am unable to access.