Comment 9 for bug 205359

I am also having the same problem with some older Dell Optiplex machines. I've tried re-burning the install discs at slow speed (on several different brands of media), swapped in another CD-ROM drive, and tried the alternate install, all to no avail. I have also run tests on the hard disk, and it is in fine shape. I get the same error message as in kidcharles' screen capture. My hard disk is also being displayed as a serial device, even though it is an IDE device on PATA.