Mandrake install freezes before install program loads

[Ron Honda]

Also a linux newbie, I had a similiar problem trying to install Mandrake
8.0. I obtained the CD by burning from an ISO image that I got from a mirror
site. I got the welcome message, then as the system tryed to boot the
kernel, it locked after some sort of kernel failure message. I assumed that
the copy that I made had some kind of problem, so I ditched the CD. Prior to
this attempted install I had successfully installed Mandrake 6.5(text
install) and Mandrake 7.0(graphical) which I obtained free from Maximum
Linux magazine. Both of those worked fine. You mentioned that your CD worked
in another computer so I assume that your disk is fine(maybe mine was also).
I wish that I could help you but don't know what the problem is. I would
like to thank you though, because now I might be able to make use of that
ISO that took me 10 hours to download. Good luck.