But given the story I can't point to the PC or an incorrect OS install. I find many of today's owners unaware of how involved a XP install is.
Let's use this link for an example.
http://forums.cnet.com/7726-7587_102-2699006.html
There are more issues than a proper install as XP knows nothing about SATA and then you have the requirement for SP2 as a minimum to get the SATA drivers installed. Finally you encounter bugs in the BIOS IDE emulation.
-> Let's hear how you deal with this as well as heat sink compound and old PCs.
Bob
Recently, a solid state (no moving parts) hard drive was installed in my laptop running XP Home. Since then, and not being able to find a driver for this Kingspec drive, the machine stops in mid stride frequently. I thought it was random, almost, but, in fact, especially in Explorer 8, when doing a DSL speed test from speedtest.net, the odometer bar stops in mid stride, the hard disk light comes on and stays on, System Idle Process goes to the top of Task Manager's Processes tab, and the time the machine is 'stalled' in factored into the speed test, reducing it from over 6Mbps to 2Mbps or thereabout. It fluctuates, but it is activated always at the time the speed test gets up to the high speed of over 6Mbps. Basically, everything but the motion of the mouse is halted. Anyone know what this might be or if there is a driver for the 64Gig Kingspec solid state hard drive?

Chowhound
Comic Vine
GameFAQs
GameSpot
Giant Bomb
TechRepublic