Googled the error and after various attempts I found that entering this boot option (just by typing it on the first installation menu screen you get) gets past the problem. From what I can figure it’s some incompatibility between Microsoft Virtual PC and non Microsoft operating systems.

noreplace-paravirt

After OpenSUSE is installed and when it first boots you’ll have to use that parameter too and then add it as a permanent option to grub so you don’t have to type it at every boot.

Thanks to http://forums.opensuse.org/install-boot-login/391246-ms-vs-2k3-std-opensuse-11-a.html where I found this:

YAST -> System -> Boot Loader -> choose openSUSE 11.0 & Edit -> add noreplace-paravirt to Optional Kernel Command Line Parameter at the end seperated by a space from the others then OK and Finish.