Hi,

I too have been having problems with installing Mageia 3 on my Lenovo W520 laptop.  This machine has a Samsung 512 GB SSD and is dual boot 
(Windows 7 and, initially, Mandriva Powerpack 2011).

Prior to my attempt to install Mageia 3 on this laptop, I took the precaution of buying a smaller SSD (128GB Samsung) to test the install, 
as I didn't want any chance of stuffing up my working (though outdated) Mandriva 2011 system.

So I replaced the Samsung 512 with the Samsung 128 and began the install of M-3.

Evertything went fine. Partitioned the drive with a small-ish windows partition at the start (in case needed in the future) followed by 
ext4 and swap partitions.  The install of the basic KDE desktop went without a hitch and the system booted up correctly without problems.

So I thought all would be fine when I swapped the 512 GB SSD back in.

Partition table for the 512 GB SSD is as follows (fdisk /dev/sda)

    Disk /dev/sda: 512.1 GB, 512110190592 bytes, 1000215216 sectors
    Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
    Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
    I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
    Disk identifier: 0x441d09ee

      Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
    /dev/sda1   *          63     4080509     2040223+   7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
    /dev/sda2         4080510   188401296    92160393+   7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
    /dev/sda3       969827985  1000213167    15192591+   7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
    /dev/sda4       188410320   969827984   390708832+   5  Extended
    /dev/sda5       188410383   245730239    28659928+  83  Linux
    /dev/sda6       245730303   266197049    10233373+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
    /dev/sda7       266197113   645074009   189438448+  83  Linux
    /dev/sda8       645074073   686023694    20474811   83  Linux
    /dev/sda9       686023758   706490504    10233373+  83  Linux
    /dev/sda10      706490568   726957314    10233373+  83  Linux
    /dev/sda11      726957378   747424124    10233373+  83  Linux
    /dev/sda12      747424188   969827984   111201898+  83  Linux

    Partition table entries are not in disk order

sda5 is /
sda7 is /home
sda8 is /usr/local
sda9 to sda12 $various

I swapped the 512 GB SSD back in and put in the install disk (DVD) as before.

Things proceeded well at first. I proceeded right through the custom partitioning section and began the install but after a short while, the 
system showed "Unpack failed for filesystem-2.1.9-20.mga3-x86-64", and the install stopped.

I repeated the install attempt, but got the same result so, thinking that the disk may have been damaged / dodgy, I downloaded once 
again and attempted the install, with the same result.  [NOTE: I later confirmed that the disks must have been fine, since I could use 
either one of them to reinstall on the smaller 128GB SSD].  

So the only difference between a working install and a failed install, is the SSD used.

Unfortunately, I've not yet found an acceptable solution to this inability to do a direct install of Mageia 3 on this 512GB SSD.  While 
Mageia 2 will install directly on the 512GB SSD without difficulty, and while Mageia 3 *will* upgrade from Mageia 2 (using the same 
installation media prepared for the direct install attempt), as per the suggestion by Herman (see posting 
http://http://alt.os.linux.mageia.narkive.com/VRlAatp1/unable-to-install-mageia3), there are several bizarre bugs with the upgraded 
version, and which remain unsolved in the various forums I've visited.  So I dearly want to do a fresh direct install of Mageia 3 once this 
bug is resolved.

I note that there is now a fresh version of Mageia 3 that can be downloaded.  Does anybody know if this new version addresses these 
instalation difficulties ?

I'd welcome all and any comments on what might be causing the problem I've described, and any solution that would allow the "Unpack failed 
for filesystem-2.1.9-20.mga3-x86-64" error to be avoided.  I note that Mike (see posting 
http://http://alt.os.linux.mageia.narkive.com/VRlAatp1/unable-to-install-mageia3) refers to hidden partions on 
Windows 7 dual boot systems may be causing problems; Windows 7 is indeed a difference between the 512 GB SSD and the test 128GB SSD. I'm 
hoping that by putting my experience out there, some one else may twig as to a solution to the problem.