Screen blacks out midway during boot

[jwjarvis]

Coming back here to post an answer my own question after finally stumbling on the Support FAQ myself, I find you beat me to it.   And I thank you for taking the time.  However, the second method you casually mention (without  having digested my note) of pressing the power button for approx 5.13 seconds always results in a screen blackout during next boot, at least for my machine.  You might not believe this, but I used to write programs before retiring.  This recent experience of threshing around clueless for most of the day has reminded me of a past I do not really want to repeat.  And if it has been frustrating for me, what kind of problems will a curious child in Costa Rica come up with, opening the box without anyone around to help him?  No instruction manual in the box to save money is penny wise and pound foolish.  I wish OLPC well but it appears that the XO is designed for classes of children with adult supervision.  It may be just as well that sales to individual adul
 ts in the U.S. will end in a few more days.  We expect too much and complain too much.  But I do appreciate this forum and your participation.

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