Hardware specs are at the end of the post.

Shortly said, I'm trying to get a Linux installed on a pc computer. I've tried several different distributions and versions during the past several months, always failing. At the moment the computer has Windows ME installed, and it can be booted, but right after that an error is produced saying that registry is broken, Windows will reboot and fix it -- after six months I'm pretty sure the registry can't be fixed. The computer is needed on a daily basis, so the new operating system should be installed during one day. Basically what's needed is a stable, reliable operating system, easy enough to update if necessary and one that includes tools for daily working ("office applications", image editing, etc.)

Then Linux: since reinstalling Windows ME (which is the only OS installing "all right", but which also tends to destroy it's registry in two weeks) takes about 2 hours on this computer (most of the time for partitioning and scandisk'ing the drives), I ended up, after three unlucky installation tries, to first test with a Live-CD and only if it works, continue to installation. During the several last months only one Knoppix version has successfully booted (something like 7 months old I think, at least), but as it's not what I'd prefer to install on the harddisk, it's not coming into question. Other distributions I've tried (mainly Live-CDs, but actual installations too) and failed: Fedora Core 3-6, (K)Ubuntu 6.06 and 6.10, Arch, Vector and some other RedHat and Debian variants. All of them fail, usually some seconds after proceeding from the boot prompt.

Errors encountered right after trying to boot (with several options, trying to leave stuff out of the kernel or getting it in, with and without splash, in "safe graphics mode", single-user mode etc.): /dev/null unaccessible, ttys respawning too fast, failure in loading services (seems random), unable to start X, screen out of range, ... I've seen dozens, if not hundreds of different error messages. I see no clear "reason" why or what makes them occur, everything seems just random at the very best.

The farthest I've been able to get was with Ubuntu 6.06; I actually got, after 10-12 boots, it start X (desktop cd), run the installer which takes about 20 mins to complete and got as far as partitioning the disc and right after that it crashed; the reason was not just the installer, X died right after that too. Every other distribution has died in an earlier stage, most of them a second or two after boot prompt.

After searching the net, asking from people and lurking other similar problems (any of those I saw) for half a year I found nothing. Most of the problems I found answered to from the web were about already-installed systems; this is just starting the installer. I've burned all the discs with both high/normal and low speeds, checked out sha1 and md5sums, tested (successfully) installing from them on other computers and so on. I've tried different cd/dvd drives during the installation. Harddisk is not defective, if any piece of software can be trusted I've tried (something like 10 different programs, including good 'ol scandisk). Processor should work, it did with one Knoppix -- at least seemingly. All the hardware is from "big companies", nothing peculiar or rare. I'm running out of tricks soon..

So, the question is: could it be hardware issue (but how, if Windows and Knoppix worked?), or perhaps a driver/kernel issue? Where to find a distribution that works, but suits for a regular user who doesn't care to do magical nerd stuff, just use the pc? How to deduce the reason of these problems, when no errors talk about one single (or even five single) problems, everything is so bizarre. I've solved difficult problems with Linux, but this is far more insane than any of them.

I can't of course even run any lspci or other commands, since even the Live-CDs fail to boot..I trusted that the new "big" distributions which should work with all kinds of hardware would work with this set; I guess I'm wrong. And burning over 100 discs just for seeing that none of them can boot is starting to frustrate me..

And now the hardware specs:

- CPU: AMD 1,2GHz (Athlon, I think)
- RAM: Kingston, 128+256MB
- HD: 40GB disc, tested and tried, plus an older 10GB "store disc"
- GFX card: nVidia GeForce II, 128MB (agp)
- Screen: normal 17" Fujitsu screen (not flat)

I'm not 100% sure about the motherboard, but it's an OEM pack from Fujitsu and all the hardware I tried to inspect seems to be as regular as possible, and work with Linux -- on other pcs similar hardware works without problems, but this one configuration just seems to fail. I'd gladly tell them use Windows ME except that if one tries to install any Office programs, the registry dies. Bying a newer Windows is not an option, the users of this pc are so fed up of the thing; surely about Linux soon too, if it can't even be installed

As far as I can tell I've tried nearly everything imaginable (and more); the media, hardware, distributions, everything is tested on other places and isn't defective. But when put together, after boot:, a load of errors, crashes and a dead pc. If somebody could find an answer here, tell me how to get some (new'ish) Linux installed, or where to start deducing the error (well, taking hardware out piece by piece..done already), I'd be more than glad.

ME isn't supported anymore, so it's like saying "sorry, your current OS won't work, you can't seem to install another one, so stop using that damn thing". Even though the pc isn't old in that sense (gamers may disagree, but I've got a pc three times older than that still running in my network successfully).

Thanks for all, and any, answers. A million thanks.

Have you swapped out the cable to the hard drive? I have a PC that was failing giving memory errors in Win2K that had a bad ribbon cable. It's worked 100% since replacing the cable.

Unfortunately the problems you describe are so widespread that it could be almost anything. However, the one thing I see that might be as issue with with your RAM. If you've got two sticks, and they are of different speed, then that's a potential conflict, because the faster stick always needs to wait for the slower one to catch up. (Your system speed is only as fast as the slowest component, and all that) I'd suggest removing the 128Mg stick, and just run with 256, or if that doesn't work, go with the 128 and remove the 256. That might not make any difference, but it's a fast and zero cost experiment. Also, do your mobo support the speed of the RAM? If your RAM is too fast for the mobo? Also, have you tried running memtest?

Otherwise though, it could be that the mobo is fried. If you are 100% confident that the other components are good, then replacing the mobo may be the best option. Good luck with it

Sounds interesting, haven't tried yet so maybe I will..

I know the errors and problems sound too widespread, but that's exactly what is confusing me. I think I've run memtest twice and it didn't show any prolems, but I guess it doesn't harm to try yet one more time. Both the RAM sticks were 133MHz so they should be compatible; anyway, I guess I'll try removing either of them to see if it helps (though I recall I tried this already some months ago since I was suspecting a memory issue).

Well whatever the reason is, it's very peculiar that it didn't affect Knoppix back then, nor it seems to affect Windows. On Windoes the only problem is faulty registry, but even that worked a while after a clean reinstall (if I remember right, installing some Office software later trashed it). Should the mother board or memory be faulty, I think it should produce errors with every operating system, and equally severe (unable to boot operating system, or if able, then every program should crash at random intervals).

I'll try to see if I could launch an installer (not a live-cd) of some kind and see if a harddisk-installed Linux boots better. Bad side is, that way if it fails I'll have to reinstall Windows ME to get it usable again, but probably I'll have to do it anyway. I'm a little sceptic anyway that a harddisk-installed Linux would run any better.. If running memtest (again), switching the cable or using only one memory (I'll check the speed compatibility of the mobo too) helps, I'll let you know. And if it was something as easy and I didn't find it out earlier, I'll probably bang my head against a thick wall for a long while..

One other possibility would the the power supply. If it's producing inconsistent output, that could easily cause weird random behavior. Personally I'd suggest at least a 350W unit. Lastly, on a different topic, are you overclocking the CPU? I'd assume No, but if you are, that could also producing instability.

Again, good luck with it

No, it's not overclocked, there's no need - the main usage is home/office tools, text writing, a little image editing etc., nothing that big.

Also if it was the power supply, wouldn't it also produce problems on other operating systems than just Linux?

Thanks for ideas again, even though this really sounds like an impossible thing to fix.