If the Computer restarts, everytime it tries to install windows, its probably the memory, either try it in a different socket or get another stick of ram and do the same process..

And If your CPU was OEM Make sure there is thermal compound on the Heatsink. Artic Silver 5! is the best 3.5 Grams for like 8 bucks!!

 

Yea, it sounds like a memory issue. Try another stick.

 

By "tries to boot off the cd (installing windows)", how far does it go? Does the computer access the CD drive at all (look at the light)? Does the Windows/XP screen come up? Can you choose a "safe mode" boot from your CD if it goes that far? Have you tried another bootable CD other than your Win/XP (for example, a Win/2000 CD or Linux CD)? Do you have a floppy drive on your system and if so, have you tried booting from a floppy? If you do have a floppy drive (and it is set as a boot device), have you tried booting without any media in any removable drives and listen to see if the computer tries to access the floppy (listen to the click and seek)? Through all this, I am assuming your hard disk is fresh and has nothing installed, in that case, if you try to boot with no media in any removable drives, you should get an error message from your BIOS like "No bootable media" or "No OS installed" or some such. Have you gotten that far? Finally, have you tried putting in a previously running hard disk and try to boot off of it? Good luck.

 

I don't mean to rag on this, but if you hope to fix this problem, you need to troubleshoot it logically. The number one step is: Does it pass the Power On Self Test (aka POST)? You will know that the POST has been passed when upon rebooting, you hear two beeps and then it attempts to load the OS.

Does it beep twice, no more, no less, when rebooting?

You mentioned that it shuts itself off when trying to boot from the CD. Is this what it actually does, power itself off? Or does it just sit there doing nothing? (These details are going to be the difference in fixing this or not fixing it.)

 

Umm, I might be smoking crack, but I swear a good POST is one beep...?

 

Regardless, you know it past POST if it tries to boot from the floppy (if there is a floppy drive and it is in the boot list in the BIOS). That's why I asked him to try to listen to see if the BIOS tried to boot from the floppy. But I agree, the details are VERY VERY IMPORTANT in trying to diagnose the problem.

 

Who installed the motherboard? This may be a longshot but it kind of sounds like the motherboard is screwed directly to the case when in fact you need those little screw in risers. Then the motherboard needs to be mounted to the risers so the back of the circuitboard isn't touching the metal case.

 

You wouldn't even get to POST if that were the case.

Are you using a new box and power supply or the old one?

 

It's worth a glance. I've witnessed several computers pass POST but fail shortly after due to this.

 

Yes, you are correct. Must be half asleep.