Everyone has those days when they can't get their computer working. But an entire week?!

System profile when it all began:

Dual-core P4 2.8 GHz

2 GB RAM

128 MB video

40 GB system drive (drive 1)

130 GB data drive (drive 2)

Plus: 200 GB system drive (drive 3 - purchased this week)

That said, here's what I've been up the past 7 days...

- System starts to go bad - lots of lock ups and more issues than ever before with this hardware

- Thought operating system was starting to go and/or corrupt somewhere (that much was obvious when I bought it)

- Worked on it for a day or two and fixed OS problems (except for the fact that it's still Windows)

- Drive 1 fails - have to go buy new drive ($90)

- Put drive 3 in and install included software

- Reboot

- Format drive 3 using disk management utility, drive 3 shows available space at/around 130 GB

- Reboot

- Realize that my build of XP doesn't see anything larger than 130 GB - start Windows Update

- Navigate past several pages explaining updates - pick custom installation

- Site has to check Microsoft Update software version, need to update the updater

- Reboot

- Click through several pages, custom, find updates

- Must verify legal installation, start verification application

- "Installation not valid" - the program never even ran

- Find manual verification page, pick method 1 of 2

- "Installation not valid" - program didn't run again

- Back to manual verification page, pick method 2 of 2

- Choose product family, product version, and purpose in life

- Verification success, click link to go back to update page

- Must verify legal installation - I sense déjà vu

- Fly through the now very similar set of pages, decide to head to "download center" and locate SP1a there

- Download tiny file - opens new installer that downloads new files to install

- Update complete, wants to reboot again

- Reboot

- Format drive 3 again, now have 186+ GB ready to go

- Figure out that drive 2 has always been the same size as recently-purchased drive 3 - hit head on desk

- Create new 55+ GB partition from leftover space on drive 2 - finally somewhere to put large Photoshop temp. files

- Reboot, unhook drive 2

- Set up clone job - disk 1 to disk 3

- Reboot

- Clone process completed

- Reboot, unhook drive 1

- Windows won't show user accounts screen for log-in

- Reboot, hook up drive 1

- Format drive 3 (again)

- Set up clone process - same settings

- Reboot, unhook drive 1

- Clone process complete

- Reboot

- Windows allows login - remove drive 1 from PC case

- Re-calibrate some missing settings from clone operation - use for roughly 6 hours

- PC freezes

- Reboot

- Decide to try OS repair using recovery console

- "Need admin password"

- Can't remember password, use old Linux disc to blank admin password

- Reboot

- "Need admin password"

- Reboot

- Use cd to set new password "admin"

- Reboot

- Enter new password - doesn't work

- Reboot

- Start repair using installation recovery method

- Repair freezes at 34 minutes

- Reboot

- Try again, same thing

- Reboot, hook up drive 1

- Use disk manager to quick-format drive 3 (again)

- Reboot, unhook drive 1

- Installation says it can't find a drive to install to

- Reboot, hook up drive 1

- Use disk manager to delete partition

- Reboot, unhook drive 1

- Attempt format and install using windows XP installation disc

- Unable to read hard drive

- Reboot, hook up drive 1

- Do "full" format of drive 3 (again)

- Reboot, unhook drive 1

- Boot with Windows 98 floppy and format with fdisk

- Reboot

- Start XP installation process - unable to read drive

- Reboot

- Boot into Linux kernel using Knoppix live cd - drive still inaccessible

- Reboot, hook up drive 1

- Try "full" format again

- Copy wpa.dbl and wpa.bak to floppy

- Reboot, unhook drive 1

- Start Windows installation - finally able to read drive 3

- Finish install process (reboot) and log in - set screen size to 1280 X 1024

- Close annoying pop-up messages showing XP's great features

- Turn off all themes, schemes, and visual features - feels like Windows 2000 now

- Delete everything from start menu and desktop except "My Computer" and other essentials

- Empty recycle bin, insert Linksys CD for wireless bridge

- Wrestle with network settings on PC until connected

- Use IE (ugh) to download Firefox (yay!)

- Install complete, open Firefox and sigh contentedly

- Reboot, pick safe mode

- Paste wpa.dbl and wpa.bak from floppy

- Reboot

- "You must activate before you can log in"

- Can't find magical have-Microsoft-automatically-activate-previously-installed-product button on user accounts page

- Attempt to log in again, success, head to Microsoft Update page

- Navigate past several pages explaining updates - pick custom installation

- Site has to check Microsoft Update software version, need to update the updater

- Reboot

- Click through several pages, custom, find updates

- Must verify legal installation, start verification application

- "Installation not valid" - the program never even ran

- Find manual verification page, pick method 1 of 2

- "Installation not valid" - program didn't run again

- Back to manual verification page, pick method 2 of 2

- Choose product family, product version, and purpose in life

- Verification success, click link to go back to update page

- Must verify legal installation - I sense déjà vu (again)

- Fly through the now very similar set of pages, decide to head to "download center" and locate SP1a there

- Download tiny file - opens new installer that downloads new files to install

- Update complete, wants to reboot again

- Reboot

- Try to log in - "You must activate before you can log in"

- Still can't find magical button on blank user account page, attempt log in again

- Success, attempt to activate product

- Product key used too many times - yeah, 3rd time on the same hardware seems like too many times to me too

- "If you believe you have reached this message in error, please visit Microsoft activation assistance web site"

- Click, browser opens

- "If you believe you have reached this message in error, please return to the activation wizard"

- Close browser, call Microsoft, listen to automated system and enter 40-digit code

- Code used too many times (duh) transferred to a real person

- Phone system drops me - call again

- Listen to automated voice again, enter 40-digit pin, etc.

- Get transferred to real person again - phone system likes me this time

- Confirm that this is my product and relay 40-digit code again

- Listen to new 40-digit confirmation code and type it in

- Product activated!

- Now begins the long part of reinstalling programs and such...is it bedtime yet?

The next day...

- System locks up

- (sigh) REBOOT!