Unstable Software Beahviour - Install Crashes - Windows 7 32Bit

Hi All.

The last month I have observed some very peculiar software behavior on Windows 7. I don' do overclocking at all.

Symptoms: Basic programs and Drivers fail upon install and after some programs do install, fail to run after reboot. Programs don't register correctly for uninstall.

What I have Done: Reinstalled OS7 Ultimate on fresh HDD. I have conducted a thorough CPU, RAM (Memtest86) CPU and PSU test with Raid64 - All check out.

Conducted Malware and Virus tests with 3 different Programs, Avira, Mcafee and AVG - No conspicuous treats found - tagged EXE. from Cracked software - Sorry.

I have tried fresh install of OS7 on 2x different HDD's and problem remains - I cannot even get my MOBO drivers to install - Chipset Driver fails on run, ATI Graphics Catalyst Control does a partial install but fails before complete. Audio Driver refuses and crashes halfway trough install. Network driver is only driver that installs.

Tested all HDD's for issues with Paragon Partition Manager and drives check out fine. Will conduct another test with Crystal Disk Info 6.

Programs like VLC, Media Player, WINRAR become severly corrupt and fail after reboot - in some instances they refuse to run at all upon install. Worth noting that these programs are not displayed when Trying to uninstall them - Windows does not even register them.

I have had the MOBO, CPU and Ram tested at supplier - No faults found, apparently. BIOS was updated. However they did not test programs like VLC, Winrar etc. - so I cannot fully trust their consensus. PC Was tested with their own HDD and most things work....

STILL GOING TO DO:

1. Obtain a spare HDD, do complete and thorough format on drive, Download fresh drivers from applicable vendors and try again from fresh OS7 Install.

2. Use new SATA connectors on drives to illuminate potential fault.

3. Will only run Operating HDD, no spare drives whatsoever.


This sums up what I have tried and still at a lost. From testing it is safe to say that the MOBO, CPU and Ram are fine, so I need to illuminate the variables which the 3 the above test will determine.

QUESTION:


Could a virus be at fault here? I have also noted that certain programs become corrupted when transferring from USB to HDD, after downloading them fresh.

At this point in time I'll be focusing on the HDD as this could also be blamed for corrupt files.

Any further suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks ICit2lol, will give them a bash.

I have noticed that it seems as soon as I transfer fresh drivers from my USB to HDD those programs will become unstable within minutes. After the 5th time of installing OS7, I quickly ran my Graphics driver and in installed, but like always catalyst control crashes upon reboot - even when the PC ran fine, but at least the driver loaded - can't do jack on 1024X768 on a 27" LCD.

I'm afraid that my media may be heavily contaminated - based on what I'm observing. And it seems any new media I expose to the PC gets corrupted in no time.

I will try a few swipes with the above mentioned programs ICit2lol. This will take me a while to do though.

Thanks for the update ICit2lol, got them now.

What I'll do is the following, feel free to advise:

1. Gonna test all current HDD's connected onto the MOBO with Mentioned Programs above.

2. Conduct a thorough Virus Scan with above mentioned as well.

3. Use new SATA Cable connector.

4. Install OS7 on spare drive - with no other HDD's, just to ensure cross contamination is eliminated. If Drivers and soft runs at this stage, I will gradually add 1 Media HDD on to the system and see if anything happens after reboot between HDD add-on.

Update:

Got hold of spare HDD - 160GB Seagate, installed with new CLip-On SATA lead, installed OS7, Created Restore point and before staring MOBO driver install.

Noticed partial software package failure install for ATI CPU and GPU drivers - Microsoft Visual 2010 C++ Redistributable Package - Never had this issue before. Report simply states driver install failed - no reason.

Downloaded new 2010 package from Microsoft and ran, can't as current version installed is the latest? Tried to look for updated version, only version for visual 2012. I'm not sure if this is required as I'm not running OS8. Any comments on this slight issue?

However all drivers installed, APPs installed, VLC, Mediaplayer, WInrar, WInamp and runs fine after reboot, shutdowns as normal before I continued.

SO fare nothing has failed yet. I'm tempted to start installing my Production SOftware - Had major run fails on Ableton 9.

Only variables are new SATA connector, Spare HDD - never used in this current PC, simplified cable management on Power leads for 5HDD's.

Any recommendations for tasks to due before continuing?