LinuxQuestions.org - Linux 8 + win98 install hell.., help pls

I am stuck in M8 install hell an was wonderin if anyone had a clue ??
Ok my system specs are
Windoze98
P3 733
128mbRam
Matrox G400 32meg gfx card
1st HD 1.7gig fujitsu
2nd HD 2.6 gig western digital caviar 22500
3rd HD 4.3 gig samsung va 34 323a udma33
32X samsung CDrom
IBM 2122 14" monitor
Us Robotics Sportster 56k
I am trying to dual boot linux mandrake 8 (from cheaplinux.org)
with win98 and i have been having nothing but trouble with it.
First i tried to dual boot it on the same HD (on the 4.3gig)
and it just kept dropping packages on me left right and center.., each time different ones when i tried for the reinstall.

So i have tried to dual boot off of a separate drive useing the 1.7gig for windows 98 and the 2.6 as win storage and the 4.3gig as the linux drive.
However cause the install went totally to **** i couldnt boot back into windows. Some of the errors i kept getting in the M8 install were.
ERROR OCCURED NO hdlists found
Segmentation fault: seems like memory is missing as the install crashes.
ERROR Invalid file "".
and of course the package dropping throughout the install.
Do i have to edit the MBR to be able to get back into windows ?
If so can anyone tell me how to do it? i know its somthing to do with fdisk but i dont know much more than that.
And.., whats with the package dropping? i am sure i have enough space and RAM to run this Os., are there some conflicts i dont know about that are messing up my install??
If someone could help me i would be greatful as i have been at this now for 3 solid days and about 30 reinstalls of linux and windows an formatted/partitioned ..., well billions of times heh.
Thanks in advance...
Frazzled out by linux8