10.5.7 with ASUS A8N32-SLI nForce4 installation problem

[sgnappero]

Hi guys,

 

 

 

I've tried finding out some help on existing threads so I'm posting here in the hope that someone can help.I'm trying installing 10.5.7 on my home PC.

 

The system is "home built" with

• ASUS A8N32-SLI + AMD dual core CPU
  
• 2x ASUS nVidia based video Cards 7800GT
  
• 4Gb Ram DDR2
  
• 4 SATA2 HD
  • 3x300GB Maxtor HD in RAID 0 with the main Vista installation
    
  • 1x500GB Maxtor HD no RAID with Linux and (hopefully) OS-X
    

  [*]PATA DVD-RW Hitachi-LG

  [*]PATA CD-RW ASUS

I have pre-configured the non raid SATA HD to support the installation, basically I have created on the HD using Partition Magic as follows:

1. primary/active partition of 120GB that will be hosting OS-X no File System installed
   
2. primary FAT32 partition with some Windows data files
   
3. extended partition containing the following logical partitions
   1. 
      
   2. Linux Swap Partition
      
   3. Linux main OS Partition (ext3)
      
   4. Linux user data Partition (ext3)
      

[*]primary FAT32 hidden partition to store Vista partition backup image created by Acronis True Image

I'm planning, as I've already done on a eeePC netbook, to install OS-X in the first partition of the disk setting up multiboot (Vista, XP, Mandriva Linux) via grub

 

I've tried the installation both with the latest iATKOS v7 and iDeneb 1.5 with the same behaviour/result.

 

The first bootimg attempt from DVD usually fails with stucking at the gray screen+apple logo. On a second boot attempt installation proceeds and I can reach the main installation window.

 

Then I start Disk Utilities to erase and format the target partition. Disk Utilities sees the SATA RAID HD as existing but without any partition in them and the SATA NON RAID HD with all the previously created partitions.

 

I select the target partition and try to erase and format it with OS-X FS Journaled and set up the label, start erasing, the process seems to work but once over the partition has not been erased/formatted and I still see the default label (not the one I've set). I've also tried using different kind of FS with the same result.

 

If I try verifying the disk or FS I get an error message (I'm using memory here 'cos I'm not writing from home, sorry, but if I remember well the first partition gives an "unknown file system" error while the other ones give an "unable to access" error).

 

I've also noticed that:

• When starting the boot process from the DVD with the -v option, I have two clearly visible error messages: the first one is related to USB concerning a pending transaction going timeout (this one is repeated quite often) while the second one is related to the failed attempt of mounting the FAT32 partition. This latest one is a mounting error with code 0x00000047.
  
• The HD access light on the front of the case gets lighted on as soon as the DVD boots and remains constantly lit (no blinking at all) all the time.
  

Have also made tryied modifying BIOS setup to disable mobo SATA RAID support (even if I'm not using the SATA RAID HDs for installation) but the problem has been the same

 

At first I thought of some mobo incompatibility but saw reports of successful installation so I'm wandering what the problem might be.

 

Can someone of you give me any suggestion? Thanks in advance for any help you might provide.