New User - Trying to boot from disk, get to Install screen and goes no further

I have a Toshiba 17.3 in laptop with 4gigs DDR3 so I am trying to install the desktop version. I want to be able to dual boot between Ubuntu and Windows 7.

Did you MD5 test the ISO you burned?
Did you check the CD for defects?
Have you tested your RAM for issues?

I did not MD5 test the ISO. Im not sure what that is, but I downloaded it several times and burned several DVDs. It get the same blinking little line when I try to test for defects. I was able to do the memory test though. That was fine. Would it make a difference between burning to a CD or DVD?

You need to burn the same ISO to the same media. Make sure you MD5 test the ISO BEFORE burning so you know the image is good

So I need to install to a CD? Not a DVD? How do you MD5 test it? Im using Roxio Creator Pro.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM

To test the ISO

Thanks, I will give that a try

May be your Ubuntu live install cd is not perfect or it can't be read from your cdrom drive please verify it...

Here some general note on install Ubuntu and howto to get a good ubuntu iso cd image (.iso) to burn on a cd:
(some examples and videos links refers to Ubuntu 10.04.1 but the install stepa are similar for Ubuntu 10.10)

- Here the steps to install Ubuntu 10.04.1 https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall

- Here install Ubuntu video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaqaDZZ_P0g&feature=fvw
(The example used in the video is Ubuntu 10.04.1. The process may be similar for other versions.)

Below there are some intructions to:
--- 1) Ubuntu prerequisites... and Ubuntu for pc with low power
--- 2) download the iso...
--- 3) check the md5sum of the iso image, please don't forget to check...
--- 4) burn the iso image to a cd ...
--- 5) install Ubuntu using the self made cd ...
--- 6) trouble screen at installation or at first boot after installation ...
--- 7) Ubuntu manual and online help...
--- 8) Relax and fun...

The main ubuntu site is this: www.ubuntu.com and the download location is this
http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download

--- 1) Ubuntu prerequisites: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/SystemRequirements

Ubuntu 10.04.1 release notes: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MaverickMeerkat/ReleaseNotes

If your ram is less than the recommended amount, you won't be able to install with the graphical installer,
but you might be able to use the Alternative cd, where you can use a text based installer - that uses less memory.
If your machine does have plenty of ram, you might want to try running Memcheck (which is also an option from the live cd, see below)
to just make sure your ram isn't failing.

- if your pc doesn't meet the Ubuntu prerequisites, you can try:

xubuntu http://www.xubuntu.org/get
lubuntu http://lubuntu.net/blog/lubuntu-1010-released

here a list from distrowatch: http://distrowatch.com/search.php?category=Old%20computers

- if you pc is a very low resource pc you can try different Linux distribution something like:
 Slitaz http://www.slitaz.org/ : Slitaz 3.0 release note http://www.slitaz.org/en/doc/releases/3.0/relnotes.en.html
 DSL http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/
 Puppy Linux http://www.puppylinux.org/

1.a) Please always prefer to download them using torrent if you can...

1.b) BE ABSOLUTELY SURE to verify the md5sum https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM
of the downloaded iso image BEFORE to burn it

1.c) burn it using infrarecorder http://infrarecorder.org/ if you are using Windows at lower speed you can do

1.d) boot your pc from cd and install...

--- 2) please download the 700 mb file http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download simply press on download button
To avoid download errors download the desired ubuntu iso install cd image using the torrent protocol.

- if you are using Windows please install a torrent client i suggest you http://deluge-torrent.org/
and download the iso using a .torrent link from here:
http://releases.ubuntu.com/10.10/ubuntu-10.10-desktop-i386.iso.torrent

--- 3) PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK the md5sum of downloaded file to be sure it have no error https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM
Only if the md5sum number match with this: http://releases.ubuntu.com/10.10/MD5SUMS go to the next steps.

--- 4) burn the iso image onto a cd, to do it install and use http://infrarecorder.org/?page_id=5 burn the cd at lower speed you can do and activate the data verify

--- 5) insert the self made install cd into your pc cdrom drive and reboot your pc. YOU MUST NOT SEE Windows starting and you can try Ubuntu from cdrom and then install it

--- 6) If you have trouble with installation (the system freeze or you can't complete it) be sure to read the above suggestions, then:

Please boot entirely (you must not see windows starting) from Ubuntu live install cd and when the system start to boot from cd you will see two bottom screen icons ( keyboard and man inside circle ) please press space (choose your desired language) then a screen textual center menu will appear to you with this items in it:

Try Ubuntu without installing
Install Ubuntu
Check disc for defects
Test memory
Boot from first hard disk

Please select "Test Memory" to deeply test your ram healty, if your pc freeze at installation or installation doesn't start.

Please select "Check disc for defects" and press enter to test if your cd-driver can read in a good way the live install cd... or if the install cd have some defective files in it.
Then please also perform a Test memory to be sure your pc RAM memory have not any issue

Using this mode by pressing F6 you can select and add special kernel parameters that may help if the installation doesn't start

------

If you get a blank screen at boot after install or booting from the Ubuntu install cd please read:

http://www.ubuntugeek.com/how-to-fix-ubuntu-10-04-lts-lucid-blank-screen-at-startup.html

If you have trouble with intel8xxx graphic cards:

please try this: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Bugs/Lucidi8xxFreezes

If you cannot boot you can also try some kernel boot options: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions to solve.

--- 7) Ubuntu Manual, it's very informative: http://ubuntu-manual.org/
Click on the "download Button" to download the latest PDF version.

The online help https://help.ubuntu.com/10.04/index.html

--- 8) Relax and fun
http://planet.ubuntu.com/ and Full Circle Magazine http://fullcirclemagazine.org/

Thanks. I will update soon. Hopefully I can get it to work

Before installing, I advise you to check option "Test without install", and run System->Administration->Test hardware.
Your problem could be related to graphic card management.