Anaconda: i/o error during read on /dev/hda

[Peter Gloor]

Hello NG,

Hmm, how to explain my problem? To make it short, I have a SuSE Linux 8.0 
Professional installed on a Compaq Deskpro 2000 5166 MMX with a 40GB HDD 
(Samsung SV4002H) and need to update to a newer kernel. At the same time I 
wanted to switch from SuSE to Fedora Core 3.

My HDD is devided into several partitions. One for the linux system 
inclusive the standard packages, one for non-standard applications I use 
(e.g. Lotus Domino) and one for data. Now, while keeping the data partition, 
I simply wanted to reformat my existing linux partition and install Fedora 
from scratch into the empty space I get.

This is where the problem is. After starting from the first Fedora Core 3 CD 
and having selected the installation language, Anaconda pops up a dialog 
with the message "Input/Output error during read on /dev/hda". Regardless of 
what I'm trying to do (booting with params, rescue cd, etc) I'm unable to 
reformat or recreate the partitions without loosing my data.

However, even my SuSE installation has beed running for years (I startet 
with SuSE Linux 6.x), I remember that I had a lot of problems with my 40GB 
HDD until I reinstalled anything. When I reinstalled SuSE Linux I had to 
manually change some drive geometry settings to overcome the problem that 
SuSE did not properly calculate drive geometry settings (LDA/CHS etc ?) due 
to a problem that the BIOS reported wrong or misleading information. After I 
fixed this every thing was o.k.

Now, I'm quite sure that Fedora has the same problem, but I don't know how 
to get it fixed. I even don't remember how I did this one time action in 
SuSE.

I hope anybody has an Idea and can give me a hint how to get the problem 
solved.

Regards,
Peter