This is the first time I have tried to install on a sata drive. I have successfully installed on a few thinkpads, and dell latitudes. I purchased this laptop new with windows 7 installed two weeks ago so the hardware works, although I had to remove the HD to format it.

The installation disk started up as I expected it to but when I tried to use cfdisk and fdisk neither was able to open the disk. I also tried the sata.i and scsi.i kernels with the same result.

All the searches both online and on LQ.com for toshiba laptops seemed to be with problems after install. I did find one solved that used huge26, but I do not have any idea what that is.

Any help, suggestions, or direction for reading will be appreciated.

If you've tried running cfdisk and failed, try cfdisk /dev/sda.

sorry apparently what was in my mind did not make it to the page.

I have tried cfdisk /dev/sata, also /dev/sda and even /dev/hda; and the same file path with fdisk, also with each <kernel>.i file. It seems as if the drive is locking out linux etc. or possibly that these ver. of cfdisk and fdisk are not able to see the sata drive.

well it turns out that if bios is set for compatability mode then i am able to address the drive and load win xp although i have not looked for the relevent drivers so weather all of it has drivers is to be seen.
But...i am still getting "cfdisk not able to open drive" (and same for fdisk) errors. i am going to guess that i need to load the sata.i drivers at the initial install boot prompt with "boot: sata.i Root=/dev/?" instead of /dev/hda, i have tried "sata" and "sda" neither worked. i read on the slack faqs that /dev/hda is supposed to work, but here i am. anyone have a suggestion what i call the drive?
Thank you.