Damn Small Linux - Not!

Woodlandjustin · Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 1

Hello
I have a Toshiba laptop about 5 years old. I had windows 2000 and suse 8.1 linux both on it. Windows crashes inconveniently, and even the linux does - has ever since I installed it. Plus the CD burner program doesn`t work. It is wholly unsatisfactory. Anyway I used it just because it could get online and Windows couldn`t for some reason understand I had a broadband connection. Anywa recently the suse password seemed to mysteriously change. So when I turn it on, I cannot get into the computer! (In linux). My password doesn`t work! And more recently, also I cannot shut down windows without turning off the power totally.
Anyway my aim was to retriev the data from linux and then wipe it off! So I downloaded DSL from
I burned dsl-3.0.1.iso to a CD which also had some other files on it already. I stuck it into my laptop and turned it on, and nothing happened (except normal booting of normal OS). So I burned dsl-3.0.1-syslinux.iso and did the same. Same result. I tried pressing variously F1, F2, and "c" (it said when I put in one of them "press <c> to boot from CD). It may have done a bit of humming and wherring, but, it still just went to my usual window of choice whether to boot suse or windows.
So I burned dsl-3.0.1-embedded.zip and opened that in windows. the window size was maybe 60% of my screen size. The desktop for DSL manifested. On the right were strange numbers and data, quite a bit of it. On the left were program icons. Even there was Firefox. Unfortunately clicking on the icon did nothing whatsoever. I also found a way to right click on the desktop and get a kind of menu, which I followed through until I also found Firefox. Alas that also did nothing. There were under that list of "net"-something-or-other, two other names. One of them did something strange like a black screen maybe for programming? And the other perhaps nothing. Anyway I was unable to get anything I recognise as being an internet browser.
Am I doing something wrong? I would like to get my data back, burn it to a CD, and then wipe all the windows and linux. Then I would like to install an operating system which will both work and also be easy for me to use. Also for cheap or free if possible. If anyone has advise in any of the above matters, I would be very grateful to hear about it.
Thank you very much
Best wishes
Justin

P.S. As you may be able to tell I am not really familiar with compters, so if you would perhaps you could instruct me in such a way that a computer illiterate could understand.