10.1 works but 10.2 does not

[zig158]

I am currently running SuSE 10.1 and would like to do a fresh install of 10.2, but I have a problem. When I boot off the disk GRUB loads no problem, when I select install my screen goes black and stays that way. I have tried every install option including text only install, and all of them lock the machine. I assumed it was the disk so I re-downloaded the Iso via bit torrent and tried it again, but no good. As a last ditch effort I downloaded the cd instead of the dvd, and that did the same thing. A week and a pack of dvds later I decided I was not meant to try 10.2, so I was going to try a different distro a try for a wile, so I downloaded FreeSpire. When I tried to boot that disk I got an error 23, after pressing the any key, my screen screwed up.

I know the problem is not the disk, all the disks matched the md5 number and were tried at fast and slow write speeds. I think that whatever is stopping me from installing openSuSE 10.2 is messing FreeSpire up too.

This computer is a few years old
SuperMicro PIIIDRE i840
Duel Intel PIII 800mhz
640Mb PC800 ECC RIMM
40Gb Maxtor hard drive
3d card is a PNY VERTO “Nvidia” 8X AGP 256mb “I forgot the number but I will look when I’m at that computers location next.”

Does any one have any thoughts? Why would 10.1 work fine but 10.2 tank? If it was the video card why would text mode lock up?

Zig158

[rong]

Sure seems like a hardware problem. Have you got another video card laying around that you could stick in there and try out? The motherboard you have there is a pretty standard chip set but perhaps those rimm chips might be an issue with the newer kernel. Looks like you may have to do some hardware diagnosing to get to the bottom of this one. Might be worth trying a liveCD like Knoppix to see if things work or not.

[manshahia]

@Rong,
But i dont think that there r many changes in 10.1 and 10.2 that can create problems with the Hardware.

[rong]

@Rong,
But i dont think that there r many changes in 10.1 and 10.2 that can create problems with the Hardware.

10.1 kernel was 2.6.16 and 10.2 is 2.6.18 and there were some other significant changes. In any event since his disks seem to be OK then that pretty much points to a hardware issue in my mind. In any event it will be interesting to find out what the problem is.