* Sounds like Explorer.exe may have been crashing, causing the unresponsiveness. If it happens again press ctrl + shirt + esc and kill the process Explorer.exe, then go File->Run and create a new instance of it. If you can then use the task bar/start menu that's the surface problem.
* I take it your computer came with XP Home preinstalled? How did you upgrade to Vista...an upgrade provided by Compaq/HP or did you purchase a Vista upgrade license?
* The average attack occurs minutes after connecting to the internet without protection, so a malware infection is far from impossible. Also note that Ares and other P2P networks are loaded with malware-infested downloads, so you are much more likely to contract something than the average user. You really need to add virus and spyware protection.
* You said "I installed Vista Home after tried to do a full recovery with Windows XP Home and it wasn't working so I bought Vista Home." How did you install Vista Home before you purchased it? Where did that initial copy come from? If it came from Compaq/HP, what about the copy of XP? (Did Compaq ship you both?)
* Yes, using the Vista DVD with a full retail product key as opposed to an upgrader's key should let you install normally. I would consider its purchase a waste of money since it's not needed, but if you've opened the packaging it's too late now to return it for a refund. However, Microsoft does accept returns within the first 90 days if you're dissatisfied, so you may want to explore your options there.
* You can reinstall Vista as many times as you like. Microsoft logs your hardware configuration during each install, so as long as that matches, within a little leeway for upgrades, you shouldn't have a problem. Worst case scenario: You have you call Microsoft for a phone activation.
Let us know.
John
Almost everytime I open a lot of paint images or Youtube videos or anything especially Ares my taskbar at the bottom goes to the top of the screen and everything starts blinking like a strobe light and either I can't click on anything or I start closing a lot of stuff and it won't stop so I have to pull the cord out since it won't let me click on the start menu to get to the restart button. It only started doing this after I installed Vista Home after tried to do a full recovery with Windows XP Home and it wasn't working so I bought Vista Home. I've only had Vista for like 2 weeks and it started doing this like 3 or 4 days after I installed it so it can't be a virus even though I don't have any anti-virus programs. Have you ever heard of this ******** happening to anyone else? This might of caused it: When I did the system recovery I forgot I did a full recovery and erased my hard drive and the reason I bought Vista was because when I put in the system recovery disk 2 it said it wasn't disc 2 which is absurd since it says disc 2 on the disc and I got these from Compaq instead of making them myself and so thats why I bought Vista but since I forgot I did a full recovery I bought the upgrade version and didn't put the product key in during installation so I did that a week later and it said my product key wouldn't work for clean installations so I bought the full version and used its product key to activate it. Yeah I'm a idiot so do you think I should use the full version CD to reinstall Vista will solve the problem? Is it possible to reinstall the software since I already activated it with this product key. I think if I did erase the harddrive once again, reinstalled it, and then tried to use this product key it would think I'm trying to install it on a different computer which it probably won't let me do. Remember the upgrade CD did do a full installation its just its product key woudn't activate it and it would of stopped working after like 26 days without activating it.

Chowhound
Comic Vine
GameFAQs
GameSpot
Giant Bomb
TechRepublic