I have tried installing a variety of linux OS on my toshiba including FC7, ubuntu 7.04 and 7.10 and FC6. I have tried reformatting my HD a number of times before installing and yet i still get a reoccuring problem.

Once installed, i constantly get Gnome applet errors, usually right after the boot, disabling most any applet that i tried to put on a toolbar. Also, periodically, i will not be able to run firefox or any open office applications. I will start them and then they will suddenly disappear. Sometimes reinstalling them will help, at least until the next boot. I get segmenation faults all the time when upgrading packages or installing new programs. Like i said, this has occured in different linux systems making me believe it can't be the software so much that is the problem.

I'm not sure what the deal is, if this is a trait of this particular computer, or if its a hardware issue ,or what. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Run memtest86+ from the installation media, I know that both FC6 and F7 media has this as an option.

Is memtest found on the live cd? Or within the OS itself. Also, what am I looking for - i am rather new to this and am unfamiliar with that particular test. Thanks.

It is a choice one can make within the FC6 / F7 installation menu screen, please review it and the additional menu screens.

Alright, ran memtest and it came back with no found errors. Back to square one i guess!

I am getting extremely frustrated with all of these errors and cannot troubleshoot them. After running every type of test i could think of, as well as memtest86 as suggested, I have found nothing that is physically wrong, however, i cannot get any of the linux systems to work properly.....

I am still having segmentation faults when i try to upgrade, and programs such as openoffice will start to load and then the loading screen will just disappear and not load it. Applets on my toolbars won't work on boot up.

Well have a look at the /var/log/messages file (Fedora Core) also provide the system specs.
While I do not see a Toshiba A65 listed here; http://www.linux-on-laptops.com/toshiba.html you may find something to help you.

Also visit: http://linux.toshiba-dme.co.jp/linux/

I have used an a65 and linux before and I don't think it is a linux problem but a hardware problem. The power jacks are known to break, a lot have been soldered back on but the damage may show up later, and then the board starts acting funny down the road. If you get lucky may be the hard drive. I would try a live cd for a few hours and see what happens.

Live cd's run just fine, I was actually running the Ubuntu 7.04 cd for a few days just because I didn't have time to throw XP back on to have at least a functioning computer. I have concluded that it has to be some hardware issue in my computer, but nothing in particular is showing any type of problems. All of the problems i have, with ubuntu or any of the fedora cores, are after i actually install the operating system. Every problem seems to initially with gnome daemons, which affects all of the applets, and ultimately trying to run updates and such in the terminal. Unfortunately, it is probably just something silly with my PC that for the most part isnt something that is fixable. Hopefully I will be able to muster up a new computer sometime and not have these headaches

I have searched everywhere for problems with this specific model and everyone who has posted about it has gotten it to work fine.