Mandrake 8.2 install hangs...

[StuPC]

I'm a non-techie trying to install Mandrake 8.2 onto my PC, an AMD Athlon 1600 with 512Mb , 64Mb of which is reserved for graphics. I've got loads of space on my HDD to install Linux but whenever I run the Linux For Windows installer (I want to see/try it before I go partitioning drives and everything)
So drive is NOT partitioned but Mandrake says that's no prob, but I get the error message
"Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount roof fs on 01:03"

the installation freezes and I have to restart.
I've read some of the other board messages and have tried typing "linux mem=448" and that just gave me a completely blank screen...

I'm not a techie so I have no idea what a kernel even is...and any help/suggestions would be much appreciated. :-)

[vader]

Try linux mem=448M (remember the 'M' at the end). I have 640M and I had to specify the 640M to get to the next stage.

Now I am scratching my head trying to figure out how to get past the next error (exec on stage2)!!!

V

[StuPC]

Ahh, good point.
Good luck with stage 2...!