Having trouble starting up Trisquel?

To start Trisquel from the DVD, your computer needs to be configured to check the disc drive for a bootable disc. Most computers are configured this way by default, but some are not. If yours is not and it's preventing you from starting Trisquel, these steps will probably solve the problem.

If Triquel does not start when you insert the disc and then reboot, remove any flash drives or external hard drives connected by USB, then try rebooting again, looking for a message that says something like "Press [some key] to boot from disc." and press that key.

If that also fails, you need to change your computer's configuration in the BIOS, a low-level interface for this kind of configuration. If you're not familiar with BIOSes, don't worry -- this is not as hard as it sounds. Restart your computer again and look for a message that says "Press [some key] to enter BIOS" or "... to modify boot settings" or "... for configuration" (unfortunately, the message varies significantly between computers, but this will likely be the only message of its type your computer displays, so it's hard to confuse it with something else). Once you enter the BIOS, you will see a simple graphical interface controlled by the keyboard. Each BIOS is different, so specific instructions are impossible, but you should have no trouble finding them if you search the Internet with the name of the BIOS that is installed on your computer. This name should be visible somewhere on the screen.

Your goal in the BIOS is to change the "boot priority" or "boot order" so that the "DVD Drive" or "Optical Drive" is above/before the "Hard Drive" or "HDD." This will likely be in a menu called something like "Boot Options" or "Startup Options." If you see multiple things that look like "Hard Drive," make sure that "DVD Drive" is in front of all of them in the order. Making these changes will ensure that your computer tries to boot Trisquel from the DVD instead of your current operating system from the hard disc.

We hope this resolves any problems you have. If it does not, you can find a wide variety of help on the Internet. The majority of techniques for fixing problems with booting from a disc should apply regardless of the operating system you are using.

We hope you enjoy Trisquel. Thanks for trying a free operating system!