Installation problem... says I have no hard disk

[dustpyle_x2]

I'm trying to install Suse on my new computer, but it's giving me problems. I ran Disk Defragmenter on Windows but it's still giving me problems. When I try to install, it gets to the partitioning step, and then gives me an error that says something like "Cannot find hard disk. Please check your hardware." How do I fix this problem? My other computer installed linux with no such problems, so I have no idea what's up.

Oh and in case it's of any relevance, I'm installing off of a disk I got from a programming competition last year.
Oh one more thing, the computer it's not working on is a Compaq and the one it had no problems with is an HP.

[devils casper]

Which version of SUSe do you have? older versions 9.3, 10.0 had these kinda problems with a few SATA chipsets.






Casper

[apoorv_khurasia]

Or it might be an older BIOS version. I remember casper suggesting me to flash my BIOS sometime back and it worked for me. You can try that too. All you need is to be careful while flashing the BIOS (cause you can screw it up if you try to flash the BIOS with an incorrect version)

[dustpyle_x2]

Ya, it's Suse linux 10.0. Do you think downloading and burning a newer distro will fix the problem? If not, I guess I could try doing that BIOS thing, but I've never messed with the BIOS before.

Ok, I'll admit, I am far from being a computer guru, but I think I found which Sata chipset I have... this says Intel(R) 82801GBM SATA AHCI Controller. Would this particular chipset conflict with the install?

[devils casper]

Intel(R) 82801GBM chipset supports latest kernels. try latest version of SuSe. visit website of motherboard manufacturer and check if new BIOS version is available.






Casper

[dustpyle_x2]

Ok, I tried to find my motherboard manufacturer, but I'm not having much luck. I went to my BIOS and got this info:

BIOS Version: F.11
Serial Number: 2CE6401WFM
UUID Number: fdc0b0e0572b11db9b8ac2e8f8bfd021

Now what do I do with this? How do I find the manufacturer?

[rong]

How do I find the manufacturer?

Pull the cover off and look on the motherboard. You should be able to find the mb mfg right on the board.

You can also use Google and search by Compaq your model specifications though you may have to do some hunting.

[dustpyle_x2]

Ok, I upgraded my BIOS from F.11 to F.12, but I still get the same error. By the way, I tried installing Ubuntu instead, but it doesn't work either. It gets to the part where I select my partition size and once I hit 'next' it freezes. So, what should I try now? You know, I like Linux and all, but this is getting really frustrating, lol.

[dustpyle_x2]

What else could be causing this problem?

[devils casper]

Ubuntu installation should not create any problem. how much space are you allocating for Ubuntu?
boot up from Ubuntu CD and execute 'sudo fdisk -l' in Terminal ( its in menu ). post output here.





Casper