I was running SuSE 10 on my "big box" (P4, 512MB Ram, etc.) which had a water-cooler kit, and upon discovering a leak in the water block, I pulled the hard disk out and tried to run it on an old Compaq as I need a program I have on it (but attempts to get it on this other computer are failing miserably). Its processor is like a P-MMX and 348MB RAM shown. It takes awhile to get GRUB going, but once it does, it will begin to boot on command, until it goes to free unused kernel memory, and then handle the mouse. Whatever it does after this step is snagging, causing the boot to cease in its tracks, cold. If I have a mouse plugged in, it will put what kind of mouse it is, but after that, it is hung. The three-finger salute (You Windows buffs are all too familiar with this one--Ctrl+Alt+Delete) is heard, and causes it to stop all MD devices and go down to reboot (and the same thing happens again). This happens even in failsafe (with no APM, X, or anything). What is the likely cause of it snagging here?

Why don't you do a minimal install on the old Compaq and use the new disk as new master (or slave) to rip off the needed data?

The reason for this might be found in the BIOS limitations -- if your new system lies (partly) above the 1024 Cyls boundary...

As far as the reason I didn't do a minimal install on my Compaq is because I still need Win98 to browse the 'net (modem issue, I'm working on that now), and my '98 CD has long since died. The "booting SuSE on the Compaq" issue is now in the dust, as I've gotten my "big" computer going again. As soon as I get the modem going in this other computer, the Compaq will go in storage (or become a "shop workstation", whatever is convenient at the time).

Pity . Then we'll never find out the reason .

I think the reason was a BIOS issue, maybe the 1024 tracks issue (it was on a 40GB hard disk! ...and most of the system was also late in the disk) and it may have been reaching out of view for something. I dropped the hard disk in my big box and it cranked right up. The only exception is that the date was set to, like, January 1, 1999, and most of the dates on the disk were, like, 2006, so fsck got stirred up and wrecked havoc everywhere. A rein fixed that though. ...and got my data back! (most of it, shoulda make a public key for something I encrypted. Gone now! )