Hey, I'm new to this Linux stuff. I downloaded and tested all 3 ISO files and they all passed the checksum so I burned them to a CD via the instructions. I put the CD in, booted up the computer, and at the graphic prompt hit enter. The screen then goes blank after this green bar completes goin across the prompt. My friends who use Linux are just as confused as I am. Here are my specs.

AMD Duron 1.3Ghz
MSI K7N2-L Mainboard
2xCorsair XMS 512Mb DDR400 PC3200
Maxtor 40Gb HD
PNY GeforceFx 5200 128Mb

My first guess would be the graphics card. It is too new and the installer does not know what to do with it. My suggestion, find an older card to do the install with and then upgrade once everything is stable.

Linux always has trouble with the latest and greatest in hardware.

Hit f1, and see if the vga graphics installer will work. It is one of the choices at the boot prompt. You can always do a text install, which is not user friendly, but can get you into a system which you can update from there. I think the problem is the installer, not linux inself. If you have another os, lilo will enable you to choose which one to boot, and you can boot into the working os for net access. I'm saying this in case you choose text install and need help from there.

At that point it's only using standard vga so the video isn't likely the prob. That board does have nforce which is a world I'm not familiar with, so I could be wrong about the vga thing. Hopefully someone has been is the same sit and came tell you how to get around the prob. Usually it'll take some kernel boot parameter after hitting F1 at the first screen and typing

linux <parameter>
try
linux noapic
linux pci=noapic
linux ide=nodma

to name a few....there's many more.

Also, if it'll allow, try hitting Ctrl>Alt>F1 thru F5 to see what it's hanging on.

WAIT is that 2 512MB as in over 1GB RAM?
try
linux mem=<enter amount here>

Hmm, I seem to have fixed this by combining what ive heard from my friends and you. Know that the boot prompt was under F1 and that my friends suggersted I type vga=normal at it, I finally got it to boot up and install. Thnx for the help fellas.

I have the same graphics card and have had similar problems. After you install be sure to install the nvidia drivers. I couldn't get it to boot into X(graphical mode) without them. Here's a link to a great tutorial on how to to so:

http://www.mandrakeusers.org/viewtopic.php?t=4567