Ubuntu 10.10 CD don't boot

When five dots screen appear, could you press <ESC> key, and report last messages.

* Setting sensor limits
speech-dispatcher disabled; edit /etc/default/speech-dispatcher
*PulseAudio configured for per-user session
saned disabled; edit /etc/default/saned
* Enabling additional executable binary formats binfmt-support

* Setting sensor limits
speech-dispatcher disabled; edit /etc/default/speech-dispatcher
*PulseAudio configured for per-user session
saned disabled; edit /etc/default/saned
* Enabling additional executable binary formats binfmt-support

Can you confirm you are stuck in a screen with five dots (and not same screen without the five dots) ? I need this information if you have a graphic server issue (without the five dots).
Can you try Ctrl+Alt+F1 and report result.
Which card do you have ?

If you have time, could you try this version
   http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/alternative-download
which could provide better error reporting.

I don't get stuck at the screen with five dots, i get stuck just after that, i get stuck at the Ubuntu desktop background but nothing loads.
I tried the Ctrl+Alt+F1 and i just got a black screen and heard the log in sound.
my graphics card is the NVIDIA GeForce 8200M G.
And will now try the alternative download.

You should have in this black screen a prompt.
The issue is in graphic management of Nvidia card.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions#Changing%20the%20CD%27s%20Default%20Boot%20Options
At boot, you could select "Safe graphics mode".

Ok so I just did that's alternative thing and I did Ctrl+Alt+F1 and I got a massive list of Buffer I/O errors.

Which Buffer I/O errors ?

When i get to the boot screen i don't have the option the select "Safe graphics mode" only "Normal" , "User drive update disk" and "OEM install (for manufacturers)"
and the Buffer I/O errors where "[66.015788] Buffer I/O error on device sr0, logical block 34943" the numbers in the "[]" changed each error (there where many) and the numbers at the end also changed each time.

Alternate distribution
"device sr0" means CD-ROM.
1) Could you use another bootable CD (including Windows) to check CD drive hardware
2) Could you clean lens of CD drive hardware
3) Could check MD5 ( https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM )
Standard distribution
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions#Main%20Start%20Page%20Options
4) At boot by pressing <ESC> key, you should see a menu, which allows you to check CD

Did you MD5 test the ISO you burned?
Did you check the CD for defects and did you burn the CD as SLOWLY as possible.

I did the MD5 test and the codes where the same.
I also re burned the DVD as slowly as possible and this time it got stuck at the 5 dots.

The CD with defects was Alternate, not Standard, which was working (no sr0 error).
So could you:
1) burn again Alternate and check its MD5
or
2) at boot of standard, choose option "Safe graphics mode".

Remember that actionparsnip and me are following many issues at same time, and have to read again whole thread each time we answer. So please explain clearly what you have done in last post (Standard or Alternate version).

ok im just going to retry all of the suggestions, im currently re-downloading the alternative distro, once its done i will do an MD5 check and burn it to a DVD-R at the slowest possible speed, then when i boot into it I will se if i have the option to put it into safe graphics mode and i will press Ctrl+Alt+F1 and report any errors.

"option to put it into safe graphics mode" is for Standard edition, not Alternate one.

I tried re-downloading the Standard edition and burned it as the slowest speed and I did the MD5 check and it was all fine, i also checked the disk in the boot options on the Ubuntu disk. i pressed "F4" at the boot option and there was no option to select "Safe graphics mode". I also went to "Try Ubuntu" and while the dots were loading i pressed "Esc" and i got the error "(process :405) GLib - WARNING **: get pwuid -r(): failed due to unknown user id (o)
                                                                                                           stdin:error 0"

For Standard edition, I took a documentation about Lucid, and it seems to be obsolescent. As I'm not currently in front of my Ubuntu computer, I will have to look at evening how to do. Sorry.
"(process :405) GLib - WARNING..." is known as a meaningless error message.
I presume you are also tired of this issue!

1) Could you check the summary I added in question area.
2) For safe graphic mode, I will have a look at my machine this evening
3) With Standard Edition
  Could you boot, and choose "Try without install", with splash screen.
  When install is hung, do you have: splash screen with five dots/a uniform red screen/a black screen
  If you get a uniform red screen, can you type ctrl+alt+F1, and check if you get a black screen with a prompt
4) With Alternate Edition
   I never use this edition, but I know it uses less graphic than the Standard one.
  Could you try to as far as you can with this edition, to check if issue is outside graphic.

Did you test the CD for defects/
Did you test the RAM for errors?

The summary is fine, but i usually get past the dots and get stuck at the ubuntu background but i cant do anything.
i tried installing the alternate edition and it got stuck at ATP i think it was and i had to cancel it and then it installed but when i booted it, it got stuck at the background with a white rectangle in the middle, the mouse and it made a sound and nothing happened
As for the CD test and the RAM test there were no errors.

Sorry, I was very busy. Too much questions. What's current status of question ?

Sorry for late reply, haven't had internet access since tuesday.

Basically everything suggested doesn't work on my ASUS F5GL when trying to live boot or install. There are no errors with the DVD its self nor the RAM. Im running Win 7 at the moment and it runs fine. MD5 is also fine. i get stuck at either the 5 dots or the default Ubuntu desktop background.

Ubuntu 10.10 Standard Edition.
Boot and immediately press <SPACE>, you get a menu with 5 entries and function keys.
Press F6 and select "nomodeset" (key <ENTER>, then key <ESC> to leave).
Then select "Try Ubuntu without install".
Do you get the purple screen ?
Do you get the upper and lower bars and two desktop icons ?

I did it and it worked, I got to the desktop so I installed it but then once it was done I restarted and it got stuck at the background with a mouse and nothing happened.
when I installed it I also downloaded and installed the drivers and updates etc.

Problem solved.
http://www.ubuntugeek.com/how-to-fix-ubuntu-10-04-lts-lucid-blank-screen-at-startup.html
Ubuntu is now working fully.