try
single noapic acpi=off video=vesa

see
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Kernel_parameters

I assume it is a video problem.
Also try disabling usb etc if you go nowhere

There is no reason why linux should not work on your laptop.
http://tuxmobil.org/ibm.html

I have linux on a thinkpad R40e and it is ok

PS: did you do a ram check?

No go on the code.

I know it should work on the laptop... the problem I guess is figuring out why it isn't...

I had done a RAM check previously... how would you suggest going about it in my current situation?

>>No go on the code
you mean single noapic acpi=off video=vesa
try with radeonfb instead of vesa

>>... how would you suggest going about it in my current situation
What do you mean? What to try next?

[edit: am running out of idea as well: one baddish one:
reinstall from scratch and when come the video driver
selection choose vesa, and disable acpi in the list
of service, as well as laptop-mode service and cpu-freq
and even network]

got DSL or knoppix live around?
No better, take mandriva 1st disk and boot in rescue mode
You will be in txt mode
mount the partition where mandy is,
cd to it
less /var/log/syslog
and
less /var/log/X.0.log

also from there you could post / access / edit
/etc/X11/xorg.conf

Retried the code with radeonfb... no go there, either.

However, in rescue mode I found a lack of /etc/x11/corg.conf (though /etc/ was there, /x11 couldn't be found.

I'm not sure how many times I've reinstalled this thing with various options... I'll probably reinstall and set the vid options EXACTLY how you said to in this last reply of yours... but why, I wonder, would these directories (all three, actually) be only there partially after a full installation...?

Get another copy of the iso and reburn.

You can check the md5 check sum before burning to make sure you have the whole thing.

I would go with GlennsPref advice.