Possibly could be corrupted are incomplete data on the install cd. Did you burn it from an ISO?

That would be my guess, as well. I'm glad you said it first, Dapper Dan.

You can't see Linux partitions from Windows, so it looks like the install got as far as creating an ext2 or ext3 partition, on what was partition F:

Give us a little information on how you burned the iso's and on what media.

thnx 4 ur suggestion.since iam totally new to linux.....
i got those cd with digit magazine.....
thnxs

your install process formated that partition as ext2 or ext3. those are not visible from windows.
you can try to install again, or get some other cds.

I had the same problem with RH9 on HP pavilion 551but it installed without
a hitch on other machines. I think it is a hardware compatibility issue on mine.Did you check the hardware compatibility list ?

i asked 1 of my friends 2 install from tht cd,lets see if the cds r wrong,or there is some problem with my sys hardware.mean time i tried to install mandrake,installation terminated after loading bootloader.when i restarted,i found tht only text mode to be installed.i tried to repair,but got messg "graphics interphase" not configured.my graphics card is s3GraphicsprosavageDDR,samsung samtron 45(T)....when ever i try 2 configure
messg "xserver can't be connected" is shown & it shutdowns

OK...we know what video card and monitor that you have.

Can you tell us a little more about your system, as Mel said, is it a HP...
Also, what version of Mandrake did you try to install?

It's hard to tell what the issue is unless we know what version of each distro of linux that you are trying to install and what the system specs. are.

For example, if the Mandrake version was older, then it may not support your hardware.

What we now know is that you have a x-server problem with the current install.

Did you get a graphical installation, or did it default to a text install?

Did you choose KDE or Gnome as the default desktop environment?

Are there any other messages that you get with the failure, like;

No core pointer found

or;

no usable screen configuration found?

How did you try to "repair" the problem? Rescue mode from the cd?