Can't install linux on old gateway(TM) pc

osat3ch · 07-19-2004, 05:08 PM

i found an "old" gateway 950MHz athlon with a DVD drive and I am trying to install linux on it. on all of my install attempts somewhere in the second CD the install stops and the lights on the keyboard flash.

it had 64 meg in it and i put in another 128 meg of ram.

I have tryed Fedora Core 1, Mandrake 9.2 and Mandrake 10 with the same results.

I would like to get one of them working on it and avoid long DLs.

I have thought of putting a CD-ROM drive in instead of the DVD-ROM drive.

Any suggestions?

osat3ch · 07-19-2004, 05:10 PM

i have used those disks for other installs and had no problems during the install.

SpeedFreak03 · 07-19-2004, 05:59 PM

I'd say either hard drive or RAM, try taking out the original 64MB and try again, or swap the HDD.

osat3ch · 07-19-2004, 06:40 PM

i just booted with the case open, the CPU fan was not spinning.

my "genius deduction" is that the cpu was over heating around the same point in each install.

I have installed a new cooler and am trying again. hopefully I didn't fry it.

SpeedFreak03 · 07-19-2004, 08:40 PM

Yea that's most likely it. My P3 500MHz's fan has failed many, many times (what do they make all the Slot 1 fans defective??) and it still runs fine - it shuts off the CPU when it overheats I think, because it gets SUPER hot then cools down when it locks up.

320mb · 07-19-2004, 11:08 PM

2 years ago I put a "golden orb" fan on my P3 850 mhz slot-one chip, it has not failed me yet...........these are good fans and they do make them for P4 chips also.............

osat3ch · 07-20-2004, 12:49 PM

I once put a HUGE heatsink/fan combination on a CPU for a friend. it was an aerocool deep impact limited edition (gold plated heatsink with iridescent fans) ( http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...%20K&CatId=493 )
without the 80mm fans mounted on it or the gold plating. [tigerdirect.com] i had to use a dremel to trim the shroud around one of the fans so it would clear a memory module. but I figured a little bit of fan shroud can be sacrificed to the gods of cooling.

I also found a P3 500 at the same recycling center and the fan had failed.