When I try to install several distros onto my computer I get a black screen. I choose the option to install. It loads the kernal up to 99 percent and goes black. Nothing happens after that. I have read that this is a hardware conflict. What type of hardware conflict is probibly causing this?

In order for anyone to help you, you need to be more specific. For instance, which distros did you try? What hardware do you have in your computer? Were there any error messages during the install?

-Michael

I have duplicated this problem in Linspire, Suse 9, Suse 10eval, Suse 10 live, Mandrake 10, and Mandravia. Red Hat 7 gave me no problems. Windows XP loads just fine.

I have an AMD 2000 XP with 512 megs of kingston DDR memory. An Nvidea 64 meg video card (I'm not sure which one.) And a gigibyte motherboard. I have tried two different hard drives individually, a 120 gig maxtor and a 15 gig quantom fireball.

My workaround has been to install linux on another computer and transplanding the hard drive after that. I don't know if this is a clue, but after I get up and running (even with windows) the boot up time is awful.

I have a linksys 10/100 ethernet card, onboard sound, and an ATI tv tuner card.

As for the screen going black, it happens when the kernal has loaded 99 percent. The computer does literally nothing after that. I have to turn it off and back on with the same results. I have tried burning from different sights and computers. It even happened with a retail cd from the store.

When you say that Red Hat 7 gave you no problems, do you mean you were able to install it directly on to the computer and it ran without locking up? If that is what you mean, the output from dmesg after you've installed Red Hat would be a very useful thing to have.

-Michael

That is right but I don't know what you mean by output from dmesg. How does this help?

dmesg is a command line program that will give you detailed information about what hardware the kernel identifies in your computer. It helps by showing us, in detail, what the _working_ kernel did to get your computer running. Without that information, all I can do for you is guess as to what the problem might be.

Also, could you tell me precisely what you mean by the kernel "loading 99 percent?" I.e. what does it say on your screen just before it locks up?

-Michael

Oh, one more thing, when the screen goes black, does the numlock light on your keyboard still go on and off when you push the numlock button? And what happens if you push ctrl-alt-f1 or ctrl-alt-del?

-Michael

I select the option to install. The loading kernal box comes up. It starts at zero but rapidly approches 100. It never makes it. It quickly goes black at around the same moment I would expect it to go to 100. Then there is nothing. No error message, no command prompt, just a black screen. Yes I do lose the num lock light when this happens.

I get the same problem with the Live disc for SuSE10, but I don't get this problem with the Eval version. It also only happens on one of my computers, the other it seems to be fine, however something that you said was that you are running a 64Mb graphics card, the system that the live CD fails on for me is also running a 64Mb card.

What is the monitor that you are using, is it an lcd or crt, just on the chance that it has something to do with refresh rates or that the monitor doesn't report its size / capabilities properly and that SuSE has gone so far and is waiting for input from you, but you cannot see it.

I am new to linux so if you have already thought of this my apologies

I have tried both and lcd and a crt monitor with the same results.