I'll post what I do when I reinstall, it's a faq I wrote for another site; Installing Windows XP – I wrote this up for a friend, hope it helps. Things to have ready : • Your XP CD. Your XP CD key. Helpful tip : don’t have the CD KEY on the XP CD. When you need it the disk will be in the drive… • Hardware manual – to make certain all the hardware is in right. Be certain the dip switches on the HD’s are set correctly to master/slave. The bios is set to boot from the correct source (CD to start – remember to switch to your preferred boot choice once done installing). • Drivers for MB, video, audio, keyboard, mouse and anything else that plugs in. • Internet passwords, installation instructions and your ISP phone # • Anti-virus, malware (spyware doctor, search and destroy etc.) and firewall software ready with cd keys. • Be disconnected from the Net. New install : • Since all your Hardware is set up properly… • Drop in the CD and reboot. • XP will start installing. If you need to install 3rd party RAID drivers you should be ready to interrupt the install once prompted about 30-45 seconds into the initial boot. • You’ll reach a screen which allows you to partition your HD’s and select one for installation. Things to keep in mind : o Having you pagefile.sys which will be located in the root directory of the windows installation on a completely separate HD will increase performance. When Your OS requires information from an application that requires use of the pagefile.sys,you are forcing multiple data streams down a single channel. Partitioning the drive does not solve this. o I like to partition like this heavy work area : low work area. This allows for high performance requirement software, like games, to be kept defragged at all times in the low work area. While HD space which is continually changed, added, deleted and accessed can be kept isolated. This allows your XP root drive and its pagefile.sys to function with an application, like a game, with high performace. o If you only have a single drive, I would partition a section for your OS with room for anything else you want there… always leave extra from other software and 15% more so defrag works well. • Here you will also choose between FAT 32 vs. NTFS. You choose, here are some pointers with the better of the two: o Security -> NTFS. o Compatibility with earlier Windows > FAT 32. o Efficiency -> NTFS. o Durability -> NTFS. • Format all the drives in the same file system, or you’ll face serious issues at a later date, and continue with the installation. • Everything at this stage is self explanatory… just follow the screens. Skip the internet setup wizard, you will do that manually later. • OK! Installed, it will be screaming about drivers… the choice is yours to let windows use its database of drivers or you use the factory ones provided with the hardware… I like to mix everything up! • Get your MB/chipset drivers on. Install your video, audio and the rest now if you don’t need updated versions from the Net. • Set up the internet, don’t get online yet. • Install your anti-virus, firewall and all the anti-malware software. • Get online. • Update your anti-virus, firewall and all the anti-malware software. • Update windows using… windows update. • Update all the drivers. • Install everything else. If you did all that right, and have not conflicts then it sounds like heat, as mentioned above, or you've damaged some hardware. You could do a HD error check. (please recheck your drivers though[vid/mobo/bus controller/usb controller/sound/etc], it is a biggie) If that is all checked off as OK, then do what Eagle said, again