Unable to make new root filesystem

[Lowell Gilbert]

FreeBSD lists <list_freebsd at skippyii.compar.com> writes:

> I m trying to install FreeBSD 4.9 on a Compaq Deskpro EP series PIII600 with 256Mb RAM 12Gb HDD .....
> This is the message that I got : "Unable to make new root filesystem on /dev/ad0s1a! Command returned status 36".
> I tried to change in BIOS from UDMA to PIO-0 PIO-4 EDMA but without luck.
> Can anybody tell me what can I do to install FreeBSD on this machine ?

The BIOS settings for access are unlikely to be relevant.
More likely, something is confused in the disk layout area.  
Is the BIOS using LBA?
What type of install were you trying to use?  How did you try to
partition the disk?