OK, Had some bad memory. So, I replaced it. This is the only thing that has changed on the system. I already had FC2 installed before the memory crapped out.

When restarting, I got "Error Reading Header: cpio: Bad Magic!"

I thought, "OK, so the install was corrupted by the bad memory... Gotta reinstall."

So, I try to reinstall and the installation routine gives me the same error. I Try to install another distro, and it also aborts with "Unable to read partition". No linux distro will fix whatever is wrong with the hard drive table.

I decided to see if Windows would install on the drive and perhaps clear whatever was going on. Windows installs fine. A complete scan of the hard drive gives it a clean bill of health. Yet, returning to a linux (TOD) install still gives the same error.

Is there a way out of this?

Thanks

Is it the case that;

A) nobody has recognized this problem or B) there's not enough information to know what's going on?

I actually booted into DOS and ran fdisk /mbr... It didn't help.

If it would just tell me WHAT header it couldn't read from at least I would know if it is my HD or something else causing this. There's not even a log that I can access.

SteedVLX

Can anybody help me out here?

Today I didi a Low Level of the hard drive and this didn't even fix it.

SteedVLX

Cancel this...

It seems that there are some serious problems with the ASUS Terminator P4 533A barebone system and linux. I've tried two boxes and finally disabling the onboard video in favor of an SiS AGP video card does the trick. Also, three Terminator P4 533 (No stinkin' 'A') boxes install just fine as is.

Wish I had known about that three days ago.

SteedVLX