Acer Aspire One ZG5 HAL Problem

Col7777

My daughter has an Acer Aspire One ZG5, she only uses it for her email and to browse the Net.
Now recently she must have downloaded an update and it has caused this error:

Internal Error
failed to initialize HAL

This is a pop-up window and all she can do is close it, this apparently is very common with a lot of Linux machines that updated recently, after searching the net for a cure I'm still scratching my head as I'm not used to Linux and I'm trying to help her fix it.

This error causes a few problems like not letting you see any internet connections.
It won't let you see any devices attached via the USB ports.

I have a restore disk but this machine has no CD-Rom, what they advise is put the CD in another PC and download it to a pen drive, then insert the pen drive in to the Acer on boot.
But as already mentioned the Acer won't access any USB ports.

Also another problem, every time I try to down load the files off the CD to the Pen drive on my PC it loads till almost the end then says the operation wasn't complete, I have a 8GB pen drive so there is plenty of room plus I formatted it so there is no other stuff on it to foul up the operation, but still no joy.

I was thinking of formatting the Acer and may be there is a chance I can get a lite version of windows or something to load on it instead, unless anyone can assist in telling me how to sort this Hal thing out and get it running again.

This is very annoying seeing as it was an update and it has mucked up the machine, not just my daughter's but many others according to what I've read.

fwor

Is it fair to assume that it runs Linpus Linux? If so, many Linux distros have recently had a major upgrade to the kernel Hardware Abstraction Layer, so you are probably right that a recent update has been the cause.

Is it still running in Simple Mode? If so, it may be worth trying it in advanced user mode (you'll need to Google for instructions on how), as that may offer you the option to start it using a previous kernel version, in much the same way that the likes of Ubuntu do.

Otherwise, you could try downloading the Ubuntu Netbook Remix which - if it's like the other versions of Ubuntu - can be run as a LiveCD on another PC in order to create a USB bootable version of itself, which you can then try "live" - without installing - to see whether it runs Ok on the Aspire. If so, you may want to install that in place of Linpus.

Col7777

Thanks fwor, I'm not sure what version or type of Linux it is, as for the Ubunto, I downloaded that but again I can't access the USB unless this advanced mode will allow me to, I'll have a look.

fwor

Col7777 wrote: »

I can't access the USB unless this advanced mode will allow me to, I'll have a look.

You won't need advanced mode for that - it's the BIOS that should allow you to boot from the USB device, before Linpus has even started up.

Col7777

Yes, I tried that but this new upgrade has altered things, I've pressed f12 on boot and selected the pen drive/USB but the computer won't recognise it.
Done the f2 thing as well but still no joy recognising the USB ports.

Apparently this upgrade has disabled the HAL which enables the USB ports or so I am led to understand.

fwor

Col7777 wrote: »

but still no joy recognising the USB ports.

So are you saying that you have already tried inserting a ~bootable~ USB drive and booting from it?

The inability to boot from a USB drive won't be anything to do with Linpus, and it will be nothing to do with the HAL, because it won't be running then - it's part of Linpus.

If it won't boot from a bootable USB device then it's either a hardware failure or an incorrect setting in the BIOS.

Col7777

fwor wrote: »

The inability to boot from a USB drive won't be anything to do with Linpus, and it will be nothing to do with the HAL, because it won't be running then - it's part of Linpus.

If it won't boot from a bootable USB device then it's either a hardware failure or an incorrect setting in the BIOS.

I'm lost with Linux so forgive my ignorance, the only thing I altered in the BIOS was to have it boot from the USB pen drive, but I changed that back after it failed.
As for Linpus, I don't know what that is.
I searched the Net as I said and this is a widespread problem apparently with a lot of Linux machines from an automatic update.