I recently built a "new to me" computer and can't get it up and running. HDD's, DVDROM, Mem is all detected ok. But just won't boot linux for some reason.

Heres the setup
ASUS P4C800 w/P4 2.4Ghz
2GB RAM
Excelstor 160GB (IDE)
WB 80GB (IDE)
SONY DVDRW (SATA)
BFG (nvidia) R84512GSP video

Tried different combination's of which drive is mstr/slv boot order with and without the new memory(1bg of it) nothing seems to work. I'm trying to install Ubuntu 9.10 I can get to the main screen where you have the option of live/install. Once you need to get past that I get a blinking cursor on the top left of my screen...and thats it. I've tried letting it sit and makes no difference. This happens with every distro I've tried to boot, Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS, they all crap out at the exact same spot, got be hardware right....

Here's the kicker I put in a windows CD and it boots into setup fine, WTF!!!

I've also set the mobo to defaults in case it was a setting replaced ide cables also tried changing HDD order Mstr/Slv through jumpers and cable select. Any help would be great!

Maybe the memory...

You might install one RAM stick at a time and run memtest. You will find it on the Ubuntu live-cd. Run it at least for seven cycles. Windows is more tolerant of memory than linux.

Of course you should check that all the hardware is well seated, but this is a fault that occurs with defective RAM.

If your memory passes the test, try to boot with another graphics card. You should also check that the card and all the other components are seated correctly.

The most usual assembly fault in a newly assembled system is that nothing happens after the power on, that is no beep and no POST, caused by one of the critical components not showing itself to the BIOS.

Thanks thorkelljarl, it wound up being an APM setting in the mobo, weird.