Did not realise that, I assumed it was OK as I wasn't the only one with the problem as it was confirmed by someone else. Not to worry it won't happen again anyway :)
Nevertheless, trying 8.04.1 i386 version with the generic.all_generic_ide=1 cd boot option I can confirm this works fine.
After installing, the system is fine apart from wifi and a slight sound problem but these are detailed in other bug reports so I will not put anything here other than it is present on my laptop too.
Massive thanks to those who helped!
Any further info needed just let me know.
I am also putting an lspci -nnv output below:
00:00.0 RAM memory [0500]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:0754] (rev a2)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:360a]
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 0
Capabilities: <access denied>
00:01.0 ISA bridge [0601]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:075e] (rev a2)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:360a]
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 0
I/O ports at 1a00 [size=256]
00:01.1 SMBus [0c05]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:0752] (rev a1)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:360a]
Flags: 66MHz, fast devsel, IRQ 10
I/O ports at 3080 [size=64]
I/O ports at 3040 [size=64]
I/O ports at 3000 [size=64]
Capabilities: <access denied>
00:01.3 Co-processor [0b40]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:0753] (rev a2)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:360a]
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 11
Memory at c0080000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=512K]
Did not realise that, I assumed it was OK as I wasn't the only one with the problem as it was confirmed by someone else. Not to worry it won't happen again anyway :)
Nevertheless, trying 8.04.1 i386 version with the generic. all_generic_ ide=1 cd boot option I can confirm this works fine.
After installing, the system is fine apart from wifi and a slight sound problem but these are detailed in other bug reports so I will not put anything here other than it is present on my laptop too.
Massive thanks to those who helped!
Any further info needed just let me know.
I am also putting an lspci -nnv output below:
00:00.0 RAM memory [0500]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:0754] (rev a2)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:360a]
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 0
Capabilities: <access denied>
00:01.0 ISA bridge [0601]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:075e] (rev a2)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:360a]
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 0
I/O ports at 1a00 [size=256]
00:01.1 SMBus [0c05]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:0752] (rev a1)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:360a]
Flags: 66MHz, fast devsel, IRQ 10
I/O ports at 3080 [size=64]
I/O ports at 3040 [size=64]
I/O ports at 3000 [size=64]
Capabilities: <access denied>
00:01.3 Co-processor [0b40]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:0753] (rev a2)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:360a]
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 11
Memory at c0080000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=512K]
00:01.4 RAM memory [0500]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:0568] (rev a1)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:360a]
Flags: 66MHz, fast devsel
00:02.0 USB Controller [0c03]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:077b] (rev a1) (prog-if 10 [OHCI])
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:360a]
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 18
Memory at c0006000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
Capabilities: <access denied>
00:02.1 USB Controller [0c03]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:077c] (rev a1) (prog-if 20 [EHCI])
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:360a]
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 18
Memory at c0007000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
Capabilities: <access denied>
00:04.0 USB Controller [0c03]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:077d] (rev a1) (prog-if 10 [OHCI])
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:360a]
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 19
Memory at c0008000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
Capabilities: <access denied>
00:04.1 USB Controller [0c03]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:077e] (rev a1) (prog-if 20 [EHCI])
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:360a]
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 19
Memory at c0007400 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
Capabilities: <access denied>
00:06.0 IDE interface [0101]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:0759] (rev a1) (prog-if 8a [Master SecP PriP])
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:360a]
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 0
[virtual] Memory at 000001f0 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=8]
[virtual] Memory at 000003f0 (type 3, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=1]
[virtual] Memory at 00000170 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=8]
[virtual] Memory at 00000370 (type 3, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=1]
I/O ports at 30c0 [size=16]
Capabilities: <access denied>
00:07.0 Audio device [0403]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:0774] (rev a1)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:360a]
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 21
Memory at c0000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
Capabilities: <access denied>
00:08.0 PCI bridge [0604]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:075a] (rev a1) (prog-if 01 [Subtractive decode])
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 0
Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=0
Capabilities: <access denied>
00:09.0 IDE interface [0101]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:0ad0] (rev a2) (prog-if 85 [Master SecO PriO])
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:360a]
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 17
I/O ports at 30f0 [size=8]
I/O ports at 30e4 [size=4]
I/O ports at 30e8 [size=8]
I/O ports at 30e0 [size=4]
I/O ports at 30d0 [size=16]
Memory at c0004000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=8K]
Capabilities: <access denied>
00:0a.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:0760] (rev a2)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:360a]
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 222
Memory at c0009000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
I/O ports at 30f8 [size=8]
Memory at c0007c00 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
Memory at c0007800 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16]
Capabilities: <access denied>
00:0b.0 PCI bridge [0604]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:0569] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode]) 0-00000000dffff fff
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
Bus: primary=00, secondary=02, subordinate=02, sec-latency=0
I/O behind bridge: 00004000-00004fff
Memory behind bridge: c1000000-c1ffffff
Prefetchable memory behind bridge: 00000000c400000
Capabilities: <access denied>
00:14.0 PCI bridge [0604]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:077a] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
Bus: primary=00, secondary=07, subordinate=07, sec-latency=0
Memory behind bridge: c2000000-c20fffff
Capabilities: <access denied>
00:18.0 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 11h HyperTransport Configuration [1022:1300] (rev 40)
Flags: fast devsel
Capabilities: <access denied>
00:18.1 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 11h Address Map [1022:1301]
Flags: fast devsel
00:18.2 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 11h DRAM Controller [1022:1302]
Flags: fast devsel
00:18.3 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 11h Miscellaneous Control [1022:1303]
Flags: fast devsel
Capabilities: <access denied>
00:18.4 Host bridge [0600]: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 11h Link Control [1022:1304]
Flags: fast devsel
02:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: nVidia Corporation Unknown device [10de:0845] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:360a]
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 10
Memory at c1000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
Memory at d0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
Memory at c4000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=32M]
I/O ports at 4000 [size=128]
[virtual] Expansion ROM at c6000000 [disabled] [size=128K]
Capabilities: <access denied>
07:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Atheros Communications Inc. AR242x 802.11abg Wireless PCI Express Adapter [168c:001c] (rev 01)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device [103c:137b]
Flags: fast devsel, IRQ 16
Memory at c2000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=64K]
Capabilities: <access denied>
Once again thank you!