Trouble installing Linux-Disk error IO AX = 42..

[arunak]

Hi,

I have been using Fedora core 3 in my computer. But I wanted to install Fedora core 5. I downloaded the iso images of test 2 version and tried installing it. Well unfortunately I couldn't install it because of some bug in the version (it wouldn't say what bug nor did I know how to find the bug). So gave a try to fc4. Strangely I couldn't install it. This time it didn't go any further to even display the fc4 screen. Well I have a SATA hardrive. Many of my friends had a problem with installing fc4 in a system having SATA hardrive. I presumed that even I had the same problem.

I had uninstalled some programs from the existing fc3. When i wanted to reinstall it asked me for the installation cd's which i had lost. And even collecting the rpms ( and  the pestering dependency problems) was way too a painful thing to do. so i thought of going for a fresh installation of fc3. So now I downloaded the iso's for fc3, checked the md5sum. When i try to install this time i  got this error...

Loading isoLinux: Disk error IO , AX = 4280, drive EF

So then I tried downloading mandriva (latest)and tried installing it. THis time i got the same kind of error.. (with AX = different)

isoLinux: Disk error IO , AX = 4800, drive EF

Can anyone figure out what is happening? If so can u help me??
[COLOR="Blue"]
Hardware: Intel 865 GBF, SATA hardrive (SEagate), Intel 32 bit 3GHz.

Thanks in advance[/COLOR]

[Ricky]

at first it seems to be problem of hardware ie. reading error. I suggest you that get any LIVEcd of linux and run a DISK CHECK using fsck etc and check disk for errors and then try installing again.

[arunak]

I am sorry it is not ...
Disk error IO, AX = 42....

It is
Disk error 10, AX = 4****, drive EF

I think that was a serious mistake, but i am extremely sorry about that.

[Ricky]

Well, you are in very ucommon problem.
This problem occures when your bios is incompatible with cd's bootcode.

It can have following remedies:

Either install it from different CD drive
or
Boot your computer via floppy and then use cd or image to do installation. FC4 has detail about it in installation section.
or
Upgrade your BIOS
or
Burn CD such that it creats boot record as windows do because basically your cd drive is expecting boot record where the windows do have usually.

[arunak]

Is it a very dangerous process to change the BIOS or upgrade it? In the sense if something goes wrong then would I have to go for some kind of hardware change?

Please do clarify me on this.

[Ricky]

well.. better do install using hardisk image, ie. save iso image on hdd and then make a boot floppy to boot into and start installation.

You can find lots of documentation online Like "how to install fedora 4 from hard disk" .. etc. Just do a quick search.