Computer problems

[Downward]

Hi
I have aquired an old P4 3.4ghz model with 250gb HD and 1gb Ram running XP.
Problem is it is proper knackered.
1st thing I did was put in the Recovery disk to try and reload XP. It doesn't seem to have made any difference at all.
Takes an age to start XP then whatever I try to do won't open.
I have a USB Mem stick with CC cleaner which I am trying to transfer to it but it doesn't even pick up the USB stick in My Computer.
I have installed a Wireless Card and have tried to install drivers and software from the disk but it keeps failing to install the drivers/software.

Just gone to MSconfig turned all unneccesary programs off and rebooted (5 mins later it's still shutting down)

Trying to diagnose problems when nothing opens is impossible.

Anyone got any advice ??

 

[Downward]

Bugger it - Tried XP lite and its come up BSOD, Think it may be be HD. Tried putting in my HD and it's IDE not SATA and I ain't got a connector for IDE anymore !

Will have to try get one tomorrow and see what happens.

 

[Crackle]

Have you got a spare SATA cable. If so try that. You'd be surprised how many disk problems are cable related.

 

[Downward]

Have you got a spare SATA cable. If so try that. You'd be surprised how many disk problems are cable related.

No i gave away all my computer stuff when I sold my desktop so will have to raid my dads pc to fix it

 

[Downward]

HD is up and running and I am on the Internet through a Cable.
Will try and install software for the wireless card.
It's still v slow and I am still getting a lot of error messages I have never come across before.

 

[Crackle]

What does it say in the event viewer - Control panel>Administrative tools>Event viewer

All the errors should be in there and will tell you what the problem is.

 

[Downward]

Sorted now at long last, Managed to fudge a reinstall of Windows and downloaded all the drivers.

 

[fossyant]

Good...well done....hate it when computers go belly up....

My sister in law's kids seem to wreck theirs..... I fixed it about two months ago - took hours and hours....but not had a 'recall' since..phew......

 

[Downward]

Good...well done....hate it when computers go belly up....

My sister in law's kids seem to wreck theirs..... I fixed it about two months ago - took hours and hours....but not had a 'recall' since..phew......

Its amazing how 4 years of neglect really screw up PC's. Still I got me a free PC with TFT which was "knackered" and now it's super fast !