Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on

The rest of the message is
on unknown-block(3,1)

I get the message when I install 4.0.0 or 4.0.2 to my HDD (/dev/hda1) the only system on the laptop.
It of course won't boot. I do not get this message with an older version like 3.9.
My machine is a Dell C610 laptop with a 20gb disk and 256mb of memory with a DVD reader.
I saw the other topic entry and it seems that there was no answer to the dilema.

Any ideas?!

I have the 4.0.0 version running and booting fine on a desktop machine, so I'm stumped!

Thanks all!

Tried the 4.0.2 CD and it does the same ????? thing!
I even tried putting the grub boot in the partition vs the MBR.
However, 3.9 CD Hard Drive Install works on the same machine on the same disk.

Now I'm even more stumped!

Hi, phillib

I experienced the same problem when I installed KNOPPIX V4.0.2 (CD) to my HDD
with the script "knoppix-installer". I chose "KNOPPIX CD Style".

Soon, I found a problem in /boot/grub/menu.lst. Please, boot yourPC fromCD again,
and look into this file. You will find lines just like these;

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.11 Default
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda6 ro ##amdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init apm=power-off nomce quiet vga=791
initrd /boot/initrd.img
savedefault
boot

You can edit the 2nd line as follows (similar to the former KNOPPIX versions) ;
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda6 ro ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init apm=power-off nomce quiet vga=791

Save your changing and reboot your PC. That all.
Good luck ("Viel Glueck" in German)

I have the same problem, but I can not write to the file because it is mounted read only, and I can't change the fstab, how do I mount the disk as read write ?
My menu.lst shows ## isk..... not ##amdisk....... I think I have a bad download or bad burn.

Same problem here on the laptop. You can also edit the boot options in Grub. And after the first boot edit the menu.lst.

But I can not write to the file.

Thanks djugem, that work for me.

lotech, try :

sudo mount -o dev,rw /mnt/hda2
or
sudo mount -o remount,dev,rw /mnt/hda2

OK You are the man !!

Boot your PC and wait until you get the Grub Menu

Then Press E on the 1st Entry
Then use arrow down to select the faulty Entry
Then press E again
Use arrow to the left until you get to the faulty entry (### ) and replace it with ramd

Press ESC

Press B to boot and be happy !!

Yes PT-1 I just find out that, and after a successful boot up, we must edit the file so that it will boot up normally next time, but this remain mystery that we have to do this after 1st install, this has to be fixed on next release.

I am just struggeling after succesfully booting the setting is back as described above.

After making the first change

Start a Terminal session

type su

type passwd

choose a new password

I choose root

then click on the K
Choose System
More Applications
File Manager Super User Mode
Use your new password
Change the file /boot/grub/menu.lst and save