For those folks not willing to wipe and reinstall, you could try CoLinux. Not a distro, I know, but for testing before deployments to my data center, it's great!

I've been booting from the CD until I figure out the config stuff.

I have an old Packard Bel Platinum 2001 V2 with intel pentium 2 running windows 98.other specs i'm not too sure about but could find out later.
as a project i was trying to install Ubuntu 7.10 don't care if windows is wiped for new system but can't get the CD to boot ,keeps giving me error message missing files but no clue as to what files missing?
tried Ubuntu 8.04 and this started to boot up but then stopped and gave half a screen of error messages which i have no idea what they mean.
can't run the system direct from cd either as not enough memory should I just give up and bin the bastard as a waste of time?
seems a shame as apart from being old the desktop works ok

Linux is notorious for being difficult running on laptops. Usually, it runs fine on desktops. Try another Linux distro.
Mandriva is user-friendly, runs from the CD (.iso image)and is more configurable than some.

Or ask here and someone who knows what they are talking about will probably help you.

could not google packard bell platinum 2001 v2

describe more precisely please

Are you running from an ISO image you burned or did you ask for a 'production' disk from Canonical. I was always having problems burning their ISO images. Canonical will ship you a disk for free if you are willing to wait 2-3 weeks. I currently have 7.10 and 8.04 disks from them.

I've tried both got one posted to me and downloaded and burnt one to cd even used one out of the library same problem just won't load.
get the Ubuntu screen as

Then it hangs and I get something like this AAAaaaaaarrrgh!!!

Go into the BIOS (the menus you have to hit F2, or F1, or Del to get into, right after the system beeps when it's booting) and look in the menus for somewhere you can turn OFF PnP (Plug n Play).