Cant install OS (sorry for the LONG explaination)

[cabbagechucker]

Hi my name is Adam. *please advise if maybe i should post this in linux instead

 

I have a custom built pc (made by me) that i was running XPsp1 on until about two weeks ago. My computer had been acting a little *sluggish and then when i turned it on the one time the start bar didn't load, it was blank and putting the cursor over it produced an hourglass. To try to troubleshoot this I ended the explorer.exe task (that seemed to be stuck and slowing me down) and opened firefox to do a little research. Couldn't find anything. I did notice TSVNcache.exe running and found out its for some tortoise svn client, to the best of my knowledge no program i ran needed that. When i ended the task it started right back up, and i couldn't delete it while running. So i tried to reinstall XP but that only made things worse, now it cant even access the internet. So i was gonna get another HD soon anyhow for more space and i did, i got a 500gig WD and tried to install my XPsp2 on it but wasn't paying attention and loaded it with a 120 day trial disk that i had (but no serial for) instead of my full copy disk(which i do have the serial for) But now when i try to install that disk i think it sees some of the files installed from the trial version and wont install/gives me an error. So having given up I tried to burn a copy of linux to put on there but the disks wont load, it says no system disk, please insert and press enter or something to that effect, in essence it wont even boot the linux installer.

 

All i want is an operational computer no matter how i do it (Win or Linux)

 

Please help me i am lost without my computer :(

[Seth]

Welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help cabbagechucker :)

 

Boot to the full version of XP, but don't choose any option that refers to repairing XP. Now delete all partitions, create a new one, and do a quick format on it when prompted. XP should intsall fine now.

[cabbagechucker]

I am trying again now but last time it let me delete and create a partition but it didn't give an option to format like it did the very first time. Will post back.

[cabbagechucker]

In process of full format now. Im not really sure why it wouldn't let me do this the last 6 times i tried, i definitely did not try to use any repair feature, oh well, waiting for format on 475 gigs... should be done in about 2 years :)

[cabbagechucker]

Seems to be working now, dont know why it wouldn't before. It seems kinda like when you can do a trick until you try to show someone then you can't. Oh well, im just happy its working.

[maynardvdm]

HI

Glad to here you got your pc working again http://www.thesmilies.com/smilies/happy/applause.gif