Can't install Linux or Windows on new HDD!! Help!!

[eP?]

My main disk crashed so I'm trying to get going on a new HDD. It's a 60 gig Western Digital. Never been used before. The other drive is installed, but disabled. I have booted to Red Hat 7.2 Disks and it always craps out at the same point while installing the packages. The screen just turns completely gray. I then tried Mandrake 8.1 and that also crapped out while installing packages. I then tried Win XP and it doesn't get past the part where it says Press F2 to run ASR...

I've tried each OS several times and each time results in the same hangups.

Any idea what's wrong??

EP

 

[|TOAST|]

Its WD and they want the drive to be correctly configured jumper wise on the last connection to the IDE cable? If its the only drive on that cable try no jumpers at all or if its the master set it to master with another drive attached (the third column of pins from the side next to the power cable).

 

[|TOAST|]

Sorry to clarify and sound stupid or overly obvious but:

The other drive attached should be the drive set to slave and on the middle connection to the cable. The cable (if ATA66 and up) should have the blue side to the IDE channel on the motherboard/controller card and the black connector to the slave drive (or none at all if this is the only drive connected to this cable) and the grey connector should be the master or only drive connected to the cable (basically it should be your WD drive).

 

[eP?]

That's not the problem. The drive is properly seen by both the BIOS and the install programs for Linux. In fact, the drive has been fully partitioned and formatted. I think the problems lies somewhere else. I'll keep trying, but keep the ideas coming please!!

 

[eP?]

I have setup the drive so that it is the only drive on the machine and set to cable select. Still I encounter the same problems.

SIGH!!

 

[|TOAST|]

Ok sorry... just ran into the same problem earlier (yes the drive could partition and format in either FAT32 or NTFS5 under WIN98SE and WIN2K). This occurred for both WD drives in the system... but it refused to take certain files or created some other weird errors during OS installtion (not too far in either).

 

[eP?]

BUMP

 

[XeonTux]

I think only some cables support cable select. I know most WD HDs do not like being jumpered master if they are the only drive, and on some Intel boards you get hung up trying to access BIOS setup if it is jumpered that way. (Which leads me to believe it could cause more problems later, or on other boards)

Pull the jumper all together or put it in the spare position, which is not documented on all drives:
[IDE CONNECTOR] ::;;: [PWR]

I assume you were able to install linux previously with your old HD? If not, it might have something to do with your IDE chipset. But then XP has troubles too so maybe not.

Next step would be d/l WD DLG Diagnostics from their website

 

[eP?]

Okay, the drive is detected fine. no probs with cables or Bios. There never was.

Yes, I hav had linux running on this comp before on a different hdd.

I am suspecting that one of the memory modules is bad. I will check tonight. however, if anyone else would like to add to the well of ideas please do so.

Thnx

 

[eP?]

Just to let you all know it was a bad DIMM after all. Thank God. Now if I could only get XP to run again without rebooting after getting to the Desktop!?