Upgrade old computer

[Tama_2]

Hi all, i'm new here so be kind.  My old computer lost it's power supply so I changed that, in the process I lost my hard drive. No big deal, so I decided to upgrade the whole thing. I installed a ECS 848P-A7 motherboard with a pentium 4 505 processor. I added  1 GB pc3200 dual channel memory. When trying to install windows XP pro from my disk it would hang up at 17%. I finally took it to a shop and he used a different cd rom and used his memory. during the os install it too hung up at 17% but then moved on and completed the installation.
I got the puter home and started to configure the small things like wallpaper and what-not. After about a day or so all I get now is the wallpaper, no task bar no start menu nothing. I have tried to start in safe mode but it seems to hang up there and not allow me to make any command changes. Oh, by the way, after I installed the os I then installed the disk that came with the motherboard. This is when things started going goofy. I have tried to use the dos prompt but I can't seem to get anywhere. This is the second time I have tried to build my computer and the last time I ended up flashing the bios and this worked for that computer. I'm wondering if I should do that to this one only because I feel as I have run out of options. Any help in trying to unclog my brain would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Tama 2

[Raptor]

Windows XP has been succesfully installed?

I finally took it to a shop and he used a different cd rom and used his memory

Are you saying your memory is faulty?

[Tama_2]

Yes, the os finally did install. However, it did hang up during install so i'm wondering if it might not have installed some drivers. When I first got it back home it worked for short periods of time. 5, 10 minutes and would then reboot. Like I said earlier, after we installed the os I installed the disk for the motherboard and that's when things got goofy. I can't start in safe mode either because I get the message "to continue press yes or to go to system restore press no" and no matter which button I press the monitor shows that I am in safe mode but I can't manuver around.

[Tama_2]

P.S.  as I was installing the os the file that started the hang-up was " driver.cab" I'm sure this is not the only file but this is where it started.

[Raptor]

Your PC may be overheating.

What are your system temperatures and have you done a full reformat before installing Windows XP?

[Tama_2]

cpu is at 46 c. and we formatted the brand new hard drive prior to install.

[Frankie]

If you had no problems why did you install the Motherboard disk. Its always best to install the motherboard drivers before any other drivers.

If its a fresh windows install if i was you i would reinstall
it again as your not lossing anything, you may have corrupted some files. I would also question why when you took it to the shop did it still hang at 17%, didnt you ask him why?. Are you sure its hanging and not just taken sometime to load. You said it hung at 17% then carried on.

So now have you bought the memory that he used from the shop or have you put your own back in.

[Raptor]

cpu is at 46 c. and we formatted the brand new hard drive prior to install.

Is it the same directly after the installation?

Have you tried testing you RAM?

[Tama_2]

I loaded the motherboard disk because I'm new at this. lol. I did put back the new ram that I had purchased. The computer shop I took it to, he's not real sure why things work or don't' it's more of a trial and error thing with him. When I try to install the os on my own it would hang at 17% for almost two hours on the last try.
We thought maybe because the cd rom was 6 years old that mabybe it wasn't reading it very well so he tried his new cd rom and it loaded. I also tried my os from my laptop and it hung up at the same spot. This was prior to the computer shop. I know a guy I can take it to and there is no dought he will have it up and running in a few minutes. Plus this is a secondary computer so time is not the issue. Pride I guess lol

[Raptor]

I also tried my os from my laptop and it hung up at the same spot.

CD shows the same behaviour in a trusted and working computer?

Is this an illegal CD? If yes, bad copy.
Is this a legal CD? if yes, damaged or dirty copy.

[Tama_2]

No illegal stuff here. Both os cd's are bought and paid for through a dealer. (store) I also cleaned both cd's properly. I hate to reformat and start over but then I lose the os that I do have. I downloaded the ram test which I will try tonight, maybe that might tell me something.

[merlin_2]

maybe the hard drive is at fault.

[Tama_2]

I hope it's not the hard drive, it's brand new. I changed that with everything else.

[Raptor]

I hate to reformat and start over but then I lose the os that I do have.

Are you doing a full or quick reformat?

[Tama_2]

I've done both but the last one before we did download the os was a full reformat.