Once i have installed from the boot CD everything required to boot Debian it boots itself and begins the system configuration. After a while of answer questions it asks what packages i want to get and I select desktop environment after about 60% of this is done my laptop screen goes black and wont turn back on and when checked the next morning the package still has not been installed, so this tedious process must be started over again. I would welcome any insight as to why I am having this problem. I am new to the whole Linux thing but Debian as well as this method of installation was recommended to me by a friend who has an identical system.

System Info:
Ibm Thinkpad T42
Model 2378-FVU
40GB Hard Drive
768MB RAM
1400x1050 SXGA+
1 Gig Ethernet Card

Did you check the md5sum of the iso?
Did you boot with "linux26" to get the 2.6.x kernel with better hardware detection?
There's also http://www.debianpure.com/ which should be easier to install.

try installing kde or gnome or whatever u perfer manuall instead of the installer doing it, just select no packages then then at the console open atptitude and get x-window-system, xorg, (kdm and kde) or (gdm and gnome)
see how that works out

The package downloads are currently running into trouble because of problems with getting the security updates (see: http://www.us.debian.org/News/2005/20050920 and http://www.us.debian.org/News/2005/20051004 ).

Here is a quote from the first news release:

“The recently released security update of XFree86 in DSA 816 for sarge and woody has caused the host security.debian.org to saturate its 100MBit/s network connection entirely. Due to the large number of X packages, the gross size of these packages and the high number of users who need to install the update, the server is busy sending out updates which exhaust its total outgoing bandwidth...”

By net installing almost any version of Debian right now with the security updates turned on, you are participating in a de facto denial-of-service attack on security.debian.org. You can try installing with the security updates turned off and then turn on the updates in the near future when the problem passes.

I have been fighting the same problem for the past two days installing Etch and just realized last night what was causing the problem.

Thanks for the tips I'll go try that.