Hard Drive and XP to Vista Woes

Okies... here goes nothing. I am just so sick of working on this. Really.

So. I have a dying hard drive. I think this because it's reeeeeallly slow in any program and it's making a clicking noise (def from the hard drive).. and when I try to clone the disc (using seagate tools) to the new one it wont do it because it says it has "bad sectors". Great.

So I think I must be screwed as far as having Vista anymore.. because I have no Vista disc. And even if I did.. I only have an OEM key. Who the heck made up this stupid system anyway? You pay for an OS when you buy the computer, but if their hardware fails.. and you put in new stuff.. youre just outta luck? I dunno.

Am I doing this all wrong? I sitll have the old, half operable drive and can go back if necessary?

So anyway. I decide... start over. Reformatted new SeaGate Barracuda drive to XP OS. Cool. Done. First problem. Drivers. Of course, the lack of a network controller driver is the first thing I'm missing, because it would make it so much easier if I were on that computer when I find them. There are many more missing, however. graphics card, chipset, modem, well pretty much everything.

I couldn't get them off the old drive, it wouldn't let me open C: folder no matter what I did. And probably wouldn't do me any good anyway because they're all for the Vista OS; As are all the drivers at the HP site.

So I start looking for the drivers seperately, by searching motherboard model, which is MCP61PM-HM. But my brain is dead, now. I can't do anything anymore. Someone point me in a direction. Please.

 

Or not... I guess...

 

I gave up on trying to find drivers etc, and put $200 toward an upgrade to Vista Business. Now I have a whole 'nutha issue as seen here.

I am destined not to work this weekend, not a good thing. After putting $300 into this issue, I wonder if maybe I dont have to buy a new computer just because my hard drive died. Nice.