System hangs while starting up after the installation

PC Configuration :
Quite an old PC with Pentium P4 2.4 Ghz, 512 MB RAM and built-in graphics support.
Additional details on configuration may be see below :

System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 8/20/2009, 03:55:25
Machine name: XP
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: INTEL
System Model: P4I45Gx_PE,
BIOS: Version 1.00
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.40GHz
Memory: 504MB RAM
Page File: 268MB used, 1153MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.2180 32bit Unicode

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: Intel(R) 82845G/GL Graphics Controller
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Chip type: Intel(R) 82845G/GL Chip
DAC type: Internal
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2562&SUBSYS_25621849&REV_03
Display Memory: 48.0 MB
Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor
Monitor Max Res: 1600,1200
Driver Name: ialmrnt5.dll
Driver Version: 6.13.0001.3095 (English)
DDI Version: 8
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 5/6/2002 13:41:02, 29184 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: n/a
WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
VDD: n/a
Mini VDD: ialmnt5.sys
Mini VDD Date: 5/6/2002 13:40:06, 77373 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B78E66-6622-11CF-EE77-6305A1C2CB35}
Vendor ID: 0x8086
Device ID: 0x2562
SubSys ID: 0x25621849
Revision ID: 0x0003
Revision ID: 0x0003
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_B ModeMPEG2_A ModeMPEG2_C ModeMPEG2_D
Deinterlace Caps: n/a
Registry: OK
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Enabled
DDraw Test Result: Not run
D3D7 Test Result: Not run
D3D8 Test Result: Not run
D3D9 Test Result: Not run

-------------
Sound Devices
-------------
Description: C-Media Wave Device
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_24C5&SUBSYS_434D1849&REV_02
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: WDM
Driver Name: cmuda.sys
Driver Version: 5.12.0001.0041 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Debug
WHQL Logo'd: n/a
Date and Size: 1/8/2004 10:07:02, 812416 bytes
Other Files:
Driver Provider: C-Media Inc.
HW Accel Level: Full
Cap Flags: 0x0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 0, 0
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: Yes, Yes
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: Yes, Yes
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): Yes
Registry: OK
Sound Test Result: Not run

Did you MD5 check the ISO you downloaded? Did you verify the CD once initially booted to? Did you burn as slowly as possible?

I checked the MD5 checksum twice, checked CD again for errors in VirtualBox. No errors found during any of the processes. And it happened with all the distros' ISOs, so I don't think its an issue with the CDs. Burnt at 16x speed (slowest possible)

I checked the MD5 checksum twice, checked CD again for errors in VirtualBox. No errors found during any of the processes. And it happened with all the distros' ISOs, so I don't think its an issue with the CDs. Burnt at 16x speed (slowest possible)

cool thats all great so far. Ok 2 things you can try is:

1. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions
2. Disable hardware in BIOS like sound and LAN and anything else that is none-essential to a basic system to isolate any possibly problematic hardware. Your system is far and above any of my systems so your systems will run the OS adequately.

Ubuntu did boot successfully at one of the occasions without any moderation (and on its own) and the session was successful as well.
But the problem came up again at the next reboot.

Looking at the last message after which system stops responding :
[ 1.454745] serial 0000:03:04.0 PCI INT A -> GSI 17 (level , low) -> IRQ 17
_

I searched the Boot options documentation that you mentioned and chose this Kernel option :
 pci=noacpi OR acpi=noirq These parameters disable the PCI IRQ routing

What happened was that system stopped responding at just previous message :
[ 1.454568] 00:09: ttyS0 at I/O 0x3f8 (irq = 4) is a 16550A

I have even disabled sound card and internal modem (which doesn't even work) to be on the safer side.
Wasn't useful in eradicating the issue.

sounds like your irq's are out of whack. head into bios and set it to failsafe defaults, see if its any better

Did you mean I should set BIOS settings to Default?
I already did that with no success.

My system is using AMIBIOS SETUP UTILITY - VERSION 3.31a
Under "ADVANCED" tab, there are options for 3 types of configurations :
Chipset Configuration
Resource Configuration
Peripheral Configuration

I also once disabled all the stuff in Peripheral Configuration except IDE. No success.

You can see the BIOS here : http://vuzit.com/view/6hd/?oid=3&key=Vuzit

Looks like its under advanced you can turn off hardware there, especially the parallel port, midi port and game port. These take up irqs and will never be used. If there is a floppy controller mentioned anywhere and you do not use a floppy disk you can disable that too.

Stuff like that

I DISABLED :
[1] Floppy Drive and Floppy drive seek
[2] Onboard FDC
[3] Onboard Serial Port
[4] Onboard Infrared Port
[5] Onboard Parallel Port
[6] Onboard Midi Port
[7] Onboard Game Port
[8] Onboard AC'97 Audio
[9] Onboard MC'97 Modem
[10] Onboard LAN

The only thing I left enabled was IDE which has Hard drive and DVD drive.

Problem still remains...

The thing to note after the above note is that Ubuntu did boot into a successful session for once (as I already told you earlier) and encountered no problem. Strange issue at hand.. :|

Waiting for your reply..

The problem was solved.
The last line of the messages while booting pointed out towards a faulty hardware connected to the PCI slot.

[ 1.454745] serial 0000:03:04.0 PCI INT A -> GSI 17 (level , low) -> IRQ 17
_

I removed an old PCI network card used for Dial-up networking which wasn't in use and had turned faulty.

Now I have no issues, thanks for all the help provided by you.