No linux distro will install....
 

Hi, I haven't used Linux is some time, but I would really like to get back into using it again.

I used to dual-boot with XP and Sun JDS, Suse, and various others on my old system, so I know how to install the OS, but since I built my current system a few months back, I have only been using XP.

Today, I tried to dual-boot it with Suse 10.1, Fedora Core 6, and Ubuntu 6.10, but NONE would install all the way through to the end without getting errors and eventually crashing.

I then tried getting rid of the XP partition, and just installing Linux, and again, NONE would install.

I am completely at a lose here. XP will install no problem, but Linux won't.

Any help would be great.

Thanks.

If you could post some of the errors your getting that would help a lot. Without there is nothing I (or anyone else for that matter) can do for you.

live-evaluation CD
 

You should try to boot a live-evaluation CD and report what happens. If it boots and recognizes your hardware, I would think you are well on your way to installing it.

you may have a problem with one of your hardware that may be the cause of the crash. does the system lock up (Num lock, caps lock not working)? Exactly let us know what happens and i am sure some one will be able to help you.

I had recently had a problem with video card. the linux installed fine, it recognizes the video card but the system just locked up while booting with disorted screen. The problem was with dri module in /etc/X11/xorg.conf file and unloading that module solved the problem.

Bad sectors on HD?
You need to be more specific about errors and exact details of PC
+1 disabling NIC card etc in bios

While I am it, try mandriva 2007 (or other), and during install press alt-ctrl-F2 or alt-ctrl-F3 and you will get very detailed information about what is going on and the exact point of crash (true of suse as well I think)

My system specs are...

Asus M2N-E (nForce 570)
AMD Athlon 2800+ X2
2x1024 OCZ DDR2-667
ATI X850XT-PE
2x100GB Maxtor SATA


The errors I am getting are basically, error install "X" file, please try again. But it never seems to be the same files twice, and it happens at various points in the install process too. Ubuntu is the only one that acutally tells me something is wrong, as in files are not being copied properly, Suse and Fedora just freeze up.

I will try disabling things like my NIC and sound in the bois and see what happens.

Thanks again.

Well, after disabling all the un-needed hardware in the BIOS, I was still not able to make any more progress with any of the Distos.

Ubuntu, still gives errors, and the other two just freeze up.

I am at a complete lose here now, how can I install Windows on this system without a hick-up, but I am not able to intsall any Linux?

Seen that one, had it at home, with mandriva
Either dvd drive is unclean, or cd/dvd just wobly enough (not flat) creating random error on reading,
try different media at lower burnt speed

Also check Md5, use bittorent rather than ftp
Where are the cd/dvd from?

Might be something else...

Thanks for the idea, but the DVDs and CDs were burnt in different drives on different machines. I always use quality media and burn at a slow speed, usually half the media's rated top speed.

Also, all DVDs and CDs passed the media test prior to install.

I googled this up, maybe it would help if you updated the bios.

Actually, just before I read this, I was updating the BOIS, and it crashed, not the system won't post at all. I guess I have bigger fish to fry at the moment, lol

Ok, so I have the computer back up and running with the lastest BIOS I could find, but I am still not able to get any version of Linux installed, but as before, I can still install any version of Windows I want with no problems.

I don't want to give up on this, I really want to start using Linux again, but don't want to have to start replacing components in a working system. There must be something I am missing.

I would suspect faulty hardware..

I would try using a different optical drive
and
I would test the RAM in the system using some bootable test utility like memtest86+

I've been reading about this mb, and most of the oc crowd seem to hate it. The ram is at an odd voltage, I guess, so make sure yours is okay. You aren't overclocking, right?

I don't think the hardware has been ruled out as the problem, here; all you can do is google around ... there's lots of info out there, and something might help. I know that some people are running linux with that mb, for whatever that's worth.

Ok, I am not ruleing out a hardware issue at all, but I have tested my RAM, it's fine. Tested the two 100gb drives, both fine. I am not overclocking, but I wondering if the defualt voltage is enough for the RAM. Should I change it from "auto" to something else? If so, what? It goes up to 1.95v. So maybe 1.85v or so?

I think the problem is with the motherboad, and/or the SATA drives. I am going to keep playing with it for now, and see what happens.

Keep posting any more ideas, they are all very helpful.