eth0 device busy : help please

Hi, New laptop new problems. Trying to get eth0 (cat 5 at work ) up. Errors out with device or resource busy. Yast also repeatedly tells me that there is a duplicate address on the network (when the machine isn't connected to a network !!). Does anyone please have any suggestions? Machine = HP pavilion dv1000 ( dv1355EA ) Thanks in hope and desperation F