After using Ubuntu for years, I decided I would rather run Debian. Downloaded the .iso, put it on a USB key, and installed it on my wifes laptop. Haven't gotten around to figuring out her sound issues, but everything went great.

I Installed Debian on my laptop, using the same USB, and it froze on first boot with the following error:

Waiting for /dev to be fully populated...[ 13.147401] ACPI: I/O resource 0000:00:1f.3 [0xf000-0xf01f] conflicts with ACPI region SMBI [0xf000-0xf00f]

Puzzling. So I downloaded the Live CD. Figure I should have done this first, because it freezes the same. I started searching and found nothing like what I'm experiencing. Turns out my laptop has been discontinued 6 months after it was released though. I did find a few suggestions for kernel parameters:

pci=noacip - Debian boots into 800x600 mode. Everything seems to work, but the nv, nvidia and nouveau drivers all lock while X is starting, leaving me with a black screen with a blinking cursor in the upper left corner. 800x600 is just not acceptable.

acpi_enforce_resources=lax - Debian freezes before the error, at "populated..."

nomodeset - no change.

I have no option to disable Optimus technology in my bios, but I'm not sure I even have it.

These are fresh downloads, so I assume I'm running the latest kernel ... might that be the problem?

I'm not sure where to go from here to get Debian working. Ubuntu works fine, I'm just sick of their "improvements". sUse seems to be working fine. Mint works, but their Debian version does the same. Fedora does the same. I read up on a few more, but would rather have Debian if it's possible. Any suggestions?

I looked at the specs on your computer it shows that you have nvidia graphics maybe you need to load that driver from bootup.
Have you installed the nvidia drivers?

The only way I can get the Debian kernel to load is with the pci=noacip switch. I then set up the nouveau drivers. Rebooted my laptop and X freezes with a black screen with a blinking cursor in the upper left corner. Set up the nv drivers and get the same freeze. Installed the nvidia drivers "the debian way" and get the same freeze. Completely removed the nvidia drivers and re-installed them "the nvidia way" and get the same freeze. Works great with the vesa drivers set up, but I can only do 800x600.

Ubuntu and sUse both work fine with nouveau and nvidia drivers. Never tried the nv or vesa, never had the need. Being based on Debian, Ubuntu should have the same problem, right? Evidently, Ubuntu figured out a fix - I just want the fix though, not Ubuntu.

Are you using squeeze or wheezy?
Squeeze works fine for me wheezy doesn't.

Trying to get Squeeze up and going, haven't tried wheezy. Maybe I should .

Squeeze is more stable
maybe you should try with a different download another copy of debian and reinstall

I had downloaded the .iso via bittorrent, then tried the live CD, then downloaded the .iso through the Debian website. This is when I tried Fedora, Mint Debian and sUse. I then downloaded the .iso again and did an integrity check before reinstalling. This is when I turned to the forums.

As it turns out, Wheezy works fine. Automatically detected my video and wireless cards too!

Thank you EDDY1, I wouldn't have figured it out without you.