OK, so my PC has been out of action for a few weeks.

This is because I upgraded the motherboard, processor and memory, and there were, a number of problems.

After that was all sorted out, well kinda, my Windows 2000 install, needed reinstalling, because apparently, you can't go changing major hardware components, without having to totally reinstall the operating system. So this I faithfully did.

Then it turns out, that the particular chipset of the new MoBo has "issues" with Windows 2000, causing it to throw its toys out of the pram. Several attempts at installing Service Pack 3 are disasterous, with files corrupted.

So, tonight, I headed over to a friend's house, and had dinner. When I got home, the computer fairies had been, and left a copy of Windows XP Pro under my pillow.

After a slightly scary install - where it locked the computer up right at the end of two install attempts, I eventually got it to work.

One strange device management related problem, has since caused the whole system to go tits-up*, but after rebooting, it's been OK. I think it's playing with me, taunting me.

*that's a technical term, meaning non-functional.