All, Thanks for the info. Meanwhile, I re-downloaded from another SL ftp2 site* via a different PC (Win2003 Server) using Nero and see the same issue. Sorry, I think I'm d one wasting DVDs... md5sum and sha1sum? -I think I've done well enough. Note: I've downloade d to test over 21 different major distro's and never had this issue. I rea lly suspect your download site. Maybe I'll wait for the next SL version (?) Thanks anyway. Al P.S.: Okay, a 'last call' diagnostics for you guys... I just found installing KDE (only)- unchecking Gnome -actually installs w/out a hitch. What are the odds? Is it too simple to suspect that something may be wro ng w/ the compiled Gnome files, or that your 'autoblocker' is also interrupt ing the download of some of these? Installing with either only Gnome or combined Gnome and KDE checked alway s fails regardless the DVD. I even tried alternating DVDs in the midst of the failures to see if potential 'bad' areas of DVDs could be evaded 'on the fly', but they all seemed equally flawed.