Even most people would say ... "buy a new hard disk, format it, install all software needed, and then try to connect to the internet." ... there's another option!

If you happen to have an internet DSL connection via router (wireless or not) or via lan, then you can give linux live cd (or linux on usb flash memory stick) a try!

Make sure than the BIOS is  configured to boot first from the CD or USB, and you're ready.

Even without a hard disk in your PC, you can boot from the live cd - usb pendrive, meet the linux desktop environment and then start the firefox browser like nothing ever happened.So, no more timeouts !

For more information, check http://www.livecdlist.com/  or http://www.pendrivelinux.com/ and make sure that you know (1)how to set bios to start from cd or usb first and (2)that there's a firefox browser in the cd or usb you've chosen.

I think that the ubuntu live cd is very interesting - also the slax live cd (although you need to install firefox) works really nice. I'd like to find your comments .

For booting linux from USB stick or live CD Puppy Linux rules!

http://www.puppylinux.com/

Oh yeah, I am using, agree and recomend linux ubuntu for free:

http://www.ubuntu-br.org/download

Ten years ago, when I gave Slackware a chance, it seemed much more difficult to use than it is now. Imagine, however, my surprise when I tried Ubuntu last year. Easy package manager, friendly interface and a vast user community! Ubuntu is frankly a "Linux for human beings"!

It's normal that some people still hesitate to use linux; it is something new to them. However, the Linux LiveCD it's a revolution anyone may experience. You do not need to install or uninstall anything and yet your PC may connect to the internet anytime!

Some people loose their online games when their hard disks crash. Now, with the live CDs ... there's no excuse!

Ubuntu is great. For some reason Verizon doesn't support internet with it though, otherwise I would be all over it.

Go to your friend's place, or use a mobile.

If you know what to do it takes ady to get back online unless yoy need new parts for your computer. 

I'm not scared of Linux in the slightest, but I do rely on Visual Studio, and none of my Windows games will work. Don't see the point of setting up dual boot so I can use Linux to do 30% of the things I currently do. I have it on my other desktop for various reasons, one of which being if I need to use the internet or do some word processing I don't need to pay for Windows or wait for it to start up (although on this PC, Vista starts as fast, if not faster than Ubuntu on my lower spec pc).

Some people -like you shakje- use Linux to revive their old PCs. Some other people use dual, triple or whatever-ply boot, when others use Linux as an application inside Windows, like wubi.

It's meaningless to start a discussion which is best or most useful from: Vista, XP, Linux, MacOS, BSD, Solaris or whatever.

However, it's sad that many people sometimes need desperately a LiveCD (i.e. when their PC is damaged and need an internet connection) and they ignore its existence!

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just so everyone is clear, "doesn't support" does not mean "will not work" or "will not allow".   when an ISP says that they don't support it, they mean that they won't troubleshoot your service if you cannot make it work.

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It's hard to believe that an ISP requires specific OSs to provide internet; it's like someone tells you that you cannot connect to the internet with a Mac or a mobile device like iPhone!

Maybe AnthonyCG doesn't use a router (wireless or not), or lan and needs to find drivers for his modem.

Go to your nearest chess club or go to your local library and use their computer, it's free!!

Yeah, sure you can do those even when your computer is fine! 

You can also have a lot of friends with computers connected to the internet and visit them - in turns - when it's your move!

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No I mean Verizon software only works with Windows and Mac. Theres no Linux support.

AnthonyCG, you have no software to operate your wireless card, modem, whatever, in Linux.

Some experienced the same problem with i.e. Verizon Wireless EVDO and found a solution here: http://www.linux.com/archive/articles/52729

In internet via ADSL and router - correct me if I'm wrong - there's never been someone having problems with Linux.

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Oh man I forgot about this thread lol.

I got everything working since then.

I was a linux noob so I was confused.

Sorry about my beginner question, but I don't understand something, when you have no hard disk at all and use a live cd to connect to the internet, where do all those temporary files go, like the pictures, the video streams, the text etc? All in your RAM?

You are right, the data is stored to RAM, if the hard disk is missing. That's why live cds are generally used in case of emergency.

Some people use live cds to check linux distros, but you have to keep in mind that live cds are much slower than the same distro installed.

So, in case that you want to run a live cd -on a regular basis- with no hard disk, if you do not have large amounts of RAM, you gotta use a light linux distro.

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 OK, thanks.