Why does my video shut off when desktop boots?
 

I am new to linux and was reading thru the linux bible. When i try to launch a live cd (any of them) I get an "out of range" logo on my monitor. I am aware this means my resolution is not right. Why it's not right is beyond me, isn't this supposed to auto detect these problems and adjust accordingly?
I figured installing debian may fix the issue, so i did. Come to find out this garbage linux can't even read a sata drive!!!!
So I put in my ide HDD and it installs fine, now I have this dumb video problem. Funny as how windows is supposed to be a crappy os in comparison to linux and yet it doesn't seem to give me any problems.
So now that you have a first hand perspective of my frustration, any ideas on what I can do to get this os working on my computer? I just want to be able to see it, so I can play with it and learn to use it. Is that so hard.
Thanks in advance.

Debian is not the preferred distribution for newbies.
Tip: http://www.distrowatch.com
Do you have the same problems with other live CD distros?

I know this is not the best to start out with, but it is not the first I have used either. Just the one I want to learn from, being the most difficult, at least from what I hear. Yes I have the same problem with all distro's. I have tried DSL,ubuntu,debian,mandriva,fedora,knoppix...... pretty much everyone that came with linux bible 2010. These problems do not happen on my laptop mind you, just my desktop pc, which is the one I want to have linux anyway.

Please provide your graphic card information.

My graphics card is an ATI Radeon R4550

My Monitor is a ViewSonic VP201b Model number VLCDS26064-2w

I also need this information apparently "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"

I have gotten myself to this prompt "Shadow:/etc/X11#" No matter what I try I cannot seem to get the xorg portion to come up......happen to know what this is and how to get it. It should be in direct relation to the problem I am having, or so I'm told

Modern distributions don't need or use /etc/X11/xorg.conf any more as nearly everything is autodetected. As you can see, things aren't always autodetected properly :-)

Try passing the "nomodeset" option to the kernel when you boot from the liveCD and see if that gets you any further.

Adam