What does the kernel panic say? Your problem is very specific and we can't do anything without a description of the actual panic.

it never stopped at a panic message. after the kernel starts loading, something about EIP starts dumping about an interrupt problem (sorry too fast to read) and then the system is returned immediately back to the bios reloading. i cant find this message in any of the logs.

im running an inspiron 8600. let me know what else i can get for you, or if you know where i should double check in the logs. i see some EIP messsages in messages.log, but not the one i saw.

thanks,
jp

Same problem here, it seems nivida is the culprit.

Kernel log: http://pastebin.com/699783

hmm, dam i have a nivida too and here it works just fine :(

ok suggestion try this:
start with load_modules=off init s
login with root password then reinstall nvidia with:
pacman -S nvidia

tried that same message, same problem. i boot into a console and startx manually, does udev now load nvidia that early? it seems that my problem starts immediately after leaviing the grub screen, as if it's a core module from the init image or something (talking slightly out of my a$$)

what other modules beside nvidia are you using that are not from stock kernel?

my /etc/mkinitrd.conf

REMOVE_IDE=
REMOVE_SCSI=1
REMOVE_SATA=1
REMOVE_CDROM=1
REMOVE_USB=1
REMOVE_FW=1
REMOVE_RAID=1
REMOVE_DM=1
REMOVE_FS=

AUTODETECT==1

HOSTCONTROLLER_IDE=piix
HOSTCONTROLLER_SCSI=
HOSTCONTROLLER_SATA=
HOSTCONTROLLER_USB=
FILESYSTEMS=reiserfs

USB_TIMEOUT=5

CRYPT_DEVICE=

RAID_ROOT_ARRAY="md0"
RAID_ROOT_DEVICES=

# Define additional modules here
ADD_MODULE=
REMOVE_MODULE=

LVM_ROOT=



my currently loaded modules (2.6.16.13-1

[jp@anakin ~]$ hwdetect --show-modules
AGP : agpgart intel-agp
IDE : ide-cd ide-core ide-disk generic piix
SCSI : sd_mod
USB : usb-storage usblp usbhid usbcore ehci-hcd uhci-hcd
FW : eth1394 ieee1394 ohci1394 sbp2
NET : b44 mii ieee80211 ieee80211_crypt ipw2200
PCMCIA : pcmcia_core rsrc_nonstatic yenta_socket
SOUND : snd-mixer-oss snd-pcm-oss snd-page-alloc snd-pcm snd-timer snd snd-ac97-bus snd-ac97-codec snd-intel8x0 snd-intel8x0m soundcore
VIDEO : nvidia
OTHER : cdrom hw_random rtc i2c-core evdev pcspkr serio_raw pci_hotplug shpchp

sorry, nothing else that i can think of... i keep it stock.

could you try this:
remove nvidia package then update to .14 kernel
and try to reboot if it still hangs it's defintly a other module that makes trouble

The kernel panic appeared to be due to the Nvidia module, which needs to be recompiled for the new kernel.

Boot up using a rescue CD. Edit /etc/rc.conf, and blacklist the nvidia module. Reboot into the new system. You should not get a kernel panic. Install the nvidia package, which will compile it against the new kernel. Remove nvidia from the blacklist. Reboot, and all should be well.

removed nvida, same same problem. was able to remember the message this time (man college was fun!)

'unknown fault or interrupt at EIP....'

the first web related articles i see talk about it being a possible memory issue on some systems. ive been running 2gb of ram for a while now without issue.

hmm could you fix this with a kernel start parameter?

ill try researching that more later, im stuck at work at the moment and cant do much more right now (so that you dont think ive just vanished). im up and running for the moment with the previous kernel, and wont take up more of your time right now. thanks

but would be cool if you find a solution for the problem :)

i intend to, just cant right now, and dont want to leave you hanging.

thanks, i'm rebuilding new .17 kernel tomorrow, perhaps you could then also test if it's already fixed in 2.6.17

that might work out better (im getting old... so little time to dig deep anymore, have to schedule it for when the kids are sleeping)... must .... resist..... aging......

please confirm if 2.6.16.14-2 fixed this.

fixed in an other bug report, please update immediatly to ne 2.6.16.14-2 package.

fixed it, thanks