Winblows through computer hell.

My objective was simple. Replace my dad's hard drive, and install a OEM copy of Windows XP Pro that I had purchased from Fry's. His computer is over 3 years old and thus the hard drive he had was forming bad sectors (at least it did just out right fail, but it was almost as bad since it hosed his email).

The hard drive was cake. Dell computers rock with thier hardware layout. They have the plastic guard rails that let you just pop a component out instead of having to unscrew it from the frame. Took all of 2 minutes to do that. w00t!

So with it all hooked up and air dusted off, I insert the Windows CD, and start the setup process. It gets to 80% copying setup files, and KABLOOEY!

"There was an error trying to copy file somethingoranother.dll. Would you like to retry, skip, or just give up you stupid mortal?"

So I hit retry. "Resistance if futile Error." WTF!?! So I skip. Next file, Error. Next File, Error. *Smashes head into desk repeatedly.

So I call for backup. Jaime shows up with another version of windows...the type of version that doesn't have boot files on it. So we do another trip back to his place and get his emergency boot disk, and another copy of windows. Third time's the charm right?

So with some russian boot disk drive letter swapping fun, I stop that nonsense and use the Windows Media Center edition of XP disk we brought (of course I figured my OEM CD key wasn't gonna work but I didn't care much at that point.

Copying setup files...........80% DING "Silly mortal, Tricks are for kids."

AAARRRGGG!!! So it wasn't the copy of windows. It was his CD ROM going nucking futs! By this point it as almost 9pm. I was tired, and here it is 4am which came all too quickly. Today I get to try again. I'll be putting in a new CD ROM (I think i'll go nuts and get him a DvD Burner mwa hahahaha!!!!)