Really weird problem when booting from CDROM

It seems that my computer stopped being able to boot from CDROM. It is secondary master on second IDE channel (both HD & CDROM have jumpers set on master) & set up as 1st boot device in BIOS. When I insert Windows XP install CD it will only go as far as black "Setup is checking your devices" screen and then it freezes on blank black screen. I never even get to the "blue" installation screens. Every linux live CD that I've used freezes right before it would switch to X. Knoppix and Ubuntu both detect my video card fine but right before I should actually get control of mouse it freezes. The only CD that will actually boot and I can install from it, is Windows 2000 CD. Did anyone seen this problem before?

I didn't do anything major to the computer to cause this problem.

Pls help I can't install Linux.

The first thing that I think of when I read this is video card or bad cdrom. But, I am rather drunk for a Monday night. So, if you've excluded both of those using diagnostic tools or other common troubleshooting... ignore this post. ;)

yeah, sounds to me like a strange little video problem since you get similar problems with several CDs. That or you are incredibly unlucky and managed to damage said CDs such that they all don't work in the same way.

It could also be a memory/cpu type problem but I suspect that would interfere with more than just booting from CDs. Do you have an OS installed? if it was going crazy and thats why you need to boot of CD it could well be hardware.

i have installed 2000 and it works fine.

phish ... what diagnostic tools should i use to see WTF

Actually all i had to do is to erase partitions completely. apparently Linux does something to the system where it won' boot certain CDs. Weird?!?!?

at what point in the install process did you delete the partitions? did you partition before installation manually, or during the install when it prompted you?

I actually found the root of the problem eventually. I want to bring this up here even though it's an old thread. (I know) The reason I was getting blank / black screen after any Linux live CD as well as XP was, get this, I didn't set the AGP (video RAM) in BIOS to 256MB (which was my new video card). I didn't even think to change things in BIOS. Remember this situation mates; I just saved you herding cats for weeks.

Thanks for the closure :)