Hey. I'm pretty noob to Linux - I've installed a distro or two, played with it and lost interest. Now I'm trying to expand my horizons and round-out my experience since I'm a "pure" M$ user.
This certainly isn't my first time installing an OS or building a computer, but it's my first shot with Debian.

I've tried numerous attempts, both with the DVD and CD ISO's.

-------------------- HARDWARE ------------------
2.07 gigahertz AMD Athlon XP
128 kilobyte primary memory cache
512 kilobyte secondary memory cache

1gb DDR memory (2x 512mb)

Board: ASUSTek Computer INC. Kamet2
Bus Clock: 166 megahertz
BIOS: Phoenix Technologies, LTD 3.10 11/01/2004

GENERIC DVD RW 8XMax [CD-ROM drive]

ST380011A [Hard drive] (80.02 GB) -- drive 0
WDC AC420400D [Hard drive] (20.42 GB) -- drive 2, s/n WD-WT6620021548, rev J58OA30K, SMART Status: Healthy
WDC WD400BB-75FJA1 [Hard drive] (40.00 GB) -- drive 1, s/n WD-WCAJA1731938, rev 14.03G14, SMART Status: Healthy

Radeon X1600 GPU

Realtek AC'97 Audio for VIA (R) Audio Controller

-------------------- HDD Configuration ------------------

hda = 40gb Western Digital NTFS Windows uses for extra space
hdb = 20gb Western Digital was NTFS extra
hdc = 80gb Seagate
partition 1 is NTFS Windows XP Pro
partition 2 is now NTFS

Installing Debian 4.0 Etch r0.


I should mention ..
Every time I boot from the CD or DVD I get these errors:
"dma_timer_expiry" error on different HD devices
"status 0x61"
"timeout error 0x58" and it says "{ DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }"
"failed opcode is unknown".
It manages to finish booting after waiting about 2 minutes of these errors.
I get the same errors even if I use the "nodma" switch with install (can't remember what that switch was).

--------------------- INSTALLATION ATTEMPTS ------------------
Resized hdc partition 2 with BootIt NG from 80gb -> 2x 40gb partitions.
Then tried to install to hdc partition 2 using DVD ISO.
Selected GRUB as the bootloader, install to the MBR on the primary drive.

The system would not boot. It gave some "Cannot load OS" error.
Booted DVD to rescue mode. Set partition 1 back to bootable and got NT Boot Loader.
Reformatted partition 2, reinstalled with GRUB.
Used BOOTPART to create the 512k file for partition 2 for NT bootloader but failed to see that it seems to work with LILO.
Reinstalled with LILO after formatting again.
Both times It would just loop over and over telling the boot was made by whoever made bootpart.

Used 1gb USB drive originally FAT32 (or w/e in-box). Paritioned with Debian installer.
Installed GRUB to the USB drive again with partition 2.
It just said "GRUB GRUB GRUB GRUB ........"

Formatted hdc partition 2 as NTFS. Put hdb data to this partition and wiped hdb.
Reinstalled with GRUB bootloader on hdb.
Instructed the BIOS to boot from that drive and rec'd "DISK BOOT FAILURE ENTER SYSTEM DISK..."
Again formatted the USB drive with Debian installer and used GRUB, again it just says "GRUB GRUB GRUB ..."

I can still boot to the NT bootloader.

I don't know what else I can try, can anyone please help me?

Try reinstalling with two of the drives unplugged. If it works, plug them back in and make the Debian disk the primary disk in BIOS,