Gaming COmputer Conundrum

[Jamstruth]

I've got a hold of a PC that was assumed broken by a friend. It was still booting Windows XP but would crash often and had been taken to the repair shop to no avail several times. Judging by the "No Active Desktop" error in the background I assumed it was one of 2 things: A virus or the graphics card (I had similar errors and crashes when my old 7300SE would overheat). The computer is a custom build, I think, in an enormous case with a good case fan which is working so overheating is probably unlikely. The graphics card is a 6600LE and the BIOS says its primary graphics hardware is PCi odd considering the info I find on the 6600LE is that its a PCi-E card... Perhaps I should change this then try reinstalling.
Anyway, I wiped the sucker with the Windows XP setup CD. It put the setup files on the old 80GB harddrive and... nothing. It tries to boot the Windows XP setup from its harddrive but only gets so far before the PC just turns off. Windows XP booting screen, black screen, computer off. Run the Windows Memory Diagnostic and it found no errors in the 1GB stick of RAM that's in it. Booted my Ubuntu Linux 10.04 LTS DVD and the first thing I was greeted with was an error from the installer. After that everything seemed fine though, no idea how to use it for diagnostic purposes mind, just ran the installer through a little bit didn't actually install as I'm trying to fix this up for my little sister and the GRUB boot menu would confuse her no end.

So, any ideas how to get Windows on this thing?

 

[Scorpei]

The PCI setting isn't weird; the fact that you have a working video out tells you that isn't the problem. Where is it going wrong when installing? You say you get an error with ubuntu, what does the error say?

You will need to check one by one what is broken. The setup should work but you could try installing 7 or any other OS (that gives you proper debug; i.e. Linux)

 

[Jamstruth]

The error was very generic and just said "Installer has encountered an unrecoverable error" then gave me the option to boot into Desktop mode.
There are barely any parts to go wrong. There's a working CD drive, a working graphics card, one stick of memory, a hard drive then the Mobo and CPU (an AMD Athlon X2)
Will try installing ubuntu and see where that gets me

Edit: This post was made quickly on my iPod my PC is booted now so I shall ask some more stuff.
I don't have Win 7 to put on this computer because not even my current computer has it, I think my brother might have a copy but that's irrelevent. This PC would run a lot better on XP.
I have Ubuntu Linux but is there any better Linux distribution out there for debugging a computer? And what exactly am I going to have to do to get through this debugging. My Linux experience is limited to messing about with WINE and whatever else on my current installed partition of Ubuntu (need to go about removing that)

 

[Jamstruth]

Update.
Ubuntu ran absolutely fine, I have no idea why my copy of XP Pro will not work on this thing. Trying formatting AGAIN to see if it will get through the setup, if not I have a Win7 CD to test whether that will install or not (though I don't have a key for it) Everything in it seems to be running perfectly. I shall just have to try and find another copy of XP to try installing if it still doesn't work.

 

[Scorpei]

Update.
Ubuntu ran absolutely fine, I have no idea why my copy of XP Pro will not work on this thing. Trying formatting AGAIN to see if it will get through the setup, if not I have a Win7 CD to test whether that will install or not (though I don't have a key for it) Everything in it seems to be running perfectly. I shall just have to try and find another copy of XP to try installing if it still doesn't work.

sounds like a plan

 

[Jamstruth]

First port of call is the HDD though. Its hard to find an undoctored XP ISO on a torrent, 90% are pirate cracked (cba with the hassle, I have a legit code) Will swap out the 80GB IDE drive with an old 20GB drive that I've installed XP to in the past, several times in fact. I can't get over how this computer is in better nick than the other I used to mess with but it can't even install XP.