Ubuntu Installation :: Cannot Install 10.04 On Satellite A75

I've tried unsuccessfully to install Ubuntu 10.04 (the latest edition as of this date) on my Toshiba satellite a75 running XP Home, trying all the things detailed below. All my attempts were with the desktop edition. My large-screen laptop is more like a desktop than like a netbook.

1. Since I didn't see a checksum on the site, I downloaded the iso file twice, and compared them with a Windows utility the iso files were the same, so I assume they are valid.

2. I thoroughly checked my RAM and 2 hard drives on which I tried the install, both before and after the failed installations, using the manufacturer's "advanced" utility and also another drive utility which shows SMART values. All the hardware seems very healthy.

3. When burning the CD, I selected the option to verify the CD - the CD's match the iso files.

4. First I tried doing a full install on a spare drive (which I put inside the laptop), i.e. installing Ubuntu by itself on the drive, without Windows. The install seemed to go fine. After reaching 100%, a dialog appeared saying something like 'click to restart'. After clicking, the CD automatically ejected and I got a screenful of errors something like:
[1950.240390] end_request: i/o error dev sr0 sector 506416
init plymouth main process killed by BUS signal
init: plymouth-splash main process (21554) terminated with status 1.

Note: in one attempt, it also said something like "atiixa codec reset timeout" (this may be misspelled). When I rebooted, then it got to the login screen, but then a few seconds later went into 'standby' mode. Usually on this laptop, when the power button is pushed in standby mode, then it boots up, but in this case it was stuck. I had to force the power off.

5. I tried booting up several times, then reburned the CD and tried again. Same story.

6. Someone said sr0 may be the cd drive. I thought perhaps the cd was being ejected too early, so I tried to hold the tray in to keep it from ejecting (that doesn't harm my tray). Same results.

7. I tried installing Ubuntu alongside my existing system (this is a different hard drive). Same story: everything seemed fine until login, then it immediately got stuck in standby mode. I don't know if it displayed the screenful of error messages, since I was out of the room.

8. I tried running from the CD. This worked, except that when I tried to import contacts into Evolution, Evolution (but not Ubuntu) crashed. On terminating the session, I again got a similar screenful of error messages. Don't recall whether the CD had automatically ejected before that.

9. I emailed the person who maintains a page in the Ubuntu community on testing the Satellite A75. The page indicates a few problems, but he said that basically Ubuntu ran on that model--nothing like the problems I had.

10. I tried running from a USB flash drive. After accessing the boot selection menu and selecting something like "external drive", the system pondered for a while, then said "PXE-2.0 No boot file name received", and booted into XP. Tried this with two different flash drives.

11. About ready to give up