K, I think the subject is descriptive enuf, as I'll get to what I have done in a minute. The problem is after the partitioning part, at the packages stage, and no matter what I do the installer goes into an endless loop, so I simply have to reboot.

The loop is as follows:
* the first screen gives me 3 already-check-marked boxes for CD1, CD2, and CD3, the first one of which is grewyed out, as I've obviously already been using that one I thought this was logical, and it was referring to my set of 3, of which I still have to do #2 and #3.
* Below it is an option to copy the others to harddisk with an empty check mark box, but this option seemed pretty useless to me because they're already on the HDD (windows desktop where I downloaded them prior to the burning). I've tried checking this option, too, but it makes no difference to the end result: the loop I eventually get to
* I hit ok, and the next screen asks if I have more media. I do, so it tells me to tells me to stick in cd1 (?!?) It's already in there, but I've tried all the disks, and it always gives me an error: "no hdlists" ... That's *when* it doesn't send me into the endless loop of asking for media, I try to give it to the 'puter, nada result, and of course, there are these endlessly-repeated screens even before the error message about the partions I've chosen and the mount points.

I can't get anywhere.

Here are my options that you might be able to use to help me with a solution:

My partitions are as follows:
* a 50MB fat16 dos partition with the ntldr, boot.ini, and dos commands (boot.ini, ntldr (mbr) a generic.mbr in case, the mandriva-generated backup of the partition table, and several other rescue type copies are on other partitions & mediafor safe-keeping in case something goes wrong (like with an few earlier attempts at ubuntu)
* a 35G win xp (media centre edition)
* in the extended partition, there is a 150G fat32 for media to be accessed by both OS's, the 6G ext3 for the mandriva, a small linux swap (don't need much with 2G RAM), a ext3 /home, another fat32 win mount, and finally, outside the extended partition, an Acronis SecureZone partition with a full backup on it

Can anyone help me, please?

I'm confused because there are only 3 iso disks, and the drake installer seems to want 4. Is there something wrong with my burned disks, so perhaps I should break the iso's and copy the files to the big media partition so that the installer can access them? Should I try to continue with a live download? Because the hardware stuff hasn't been done yet, my nic isn't functioning yet.

Signed,
getting as frustrated with an 'easy' linux as microshaft

Sorry for the hasy message I put up a little while ago; I continued to read some more and suspected it was a probelm with my cd disks. Sure 'nuf, I was able to get the first one fixed, and now that part of Mandriva is installed. Yipee!

I'll do the other 2 disks tomorrow - after I've got grub where it needs to be. Right now it's still booting Windows, so I guess I've got to move the grub somehow to my first priamry partition with the plain dos files, boot.ini, and ntldr. I think I just have to edit the boot.ini itself to add a certain line to it/ntldr.

Tomorrow...

I suspect the issue with the loop was telling the installer you have other media. Leave the three cd's with their checked boxes and say no to copying them over to the hard drive (it's time consuming and once you configure urpmi you won't want to use them) and when it asks for other media say no. It should take you through to partition setup and then onto packacge selection.

When you get to the end of the installation there is a summary screen, go into the bootloader setup and configure it to install onto the Master Boot Record of your harddrive, it should automatically configure to boot both Windows and Mandrake with Mandrake being default.

For the partiotioning, chose custom partitioning at the beginning and then in the next screen click on the partition you want mandrake installed on, click on the automatic partition setup button (I forget what it is called) and it will automatically create the linux partitions you'll need with their mount points already set. If you have already created / (root), /home and swap, I'd probably delete them and let the Mandrake installer set them up for you. Their sizes will be different to what you've chosen but because all the space intensive files (media files) are going to be on another partion it won't matter.

There is a fourth CD but it is only available to Mandrake Club members, which you have to pay to be a member, and you don't really need the fourth CD in my opinion.

Hope this helps and isn't too much info.