I would take a little of everyone's advice here.
Ensure nothing is overclocked again. Then clean install Windows by booting to the DVD and formatting too. You can do so by hitting advanced when the installer asks where to install to.
Don't install any antivirus right away. Or instead, install MSE. This way, we could rule out antivirus as an issue.
Hold off on installing the wireless driver until you know if the machine is good or not.
I believe you need to remove the GRUB as it is conflicting with Windows.
Ubuntu requires you to remove GRUB when installing Windows 7, then replace it afterwards.
I do not know if Windows 7 can correctly configure a dual boot with Ubuntu when it is properly installed last.
You can find this out by removing GRUB and doing a Win7 repair install to correctly reconfig the boot.
It may be that you can only remove GRUB by formatting, however.
I had been formatting with the 'advanced' option every time, but I think I'll try this, and just wipe the entire drive, partitions and all, if GRUB is causing the problems. I can add the Ubuntu back in later, I suppose. Will rescue my files first, as the Ubuntu Live disc is lovely, and will let you know, thank you!
I would do the cleanest possible format, which is to zero the drive. You can use Darik's Boot N Nuke, your HD's DOS diagnostics disk, or these Diskpart commands run from Win7 DVD Repair console>Recovery Tools:
Open a Command Line and type:
DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK # (for Windows 7 disk)
clean all ("all" is zeroing)
create partition primary
select partition 1
assign letter=c:
active
format
exit
Note that you can exit after Clean All if you want to create/format the partitions using the Advanced Drive tools during Custom install from booted Win7 DVD.
The commands given above will pre-format so that you won't get the 100mb Win7 System Reserved partition.
I zeroed the drive using Killdisk, as I've used it before. Attempted to do another install, and.... still no dice. It goes through the motions, and then I get Window's boot manager telling me that Windows failed to start, and recommends I run the repairer. Safe mode did not work either.
It also gives me this:
File: \Windows\System32\DRIVERS\ql2300.sys
Status: 0xc0000221
Info: Windows failed to load because a critical system driver is missing, or corrupt.
This makes it sound like the install disc I'm using is messed up, though it worked before?
Try installing from a USB Key instead.
It will eliminate any burn errors.
When exactly in the install process does this appear?
I actually brilliantly missed the precise spot where it failed, had to leave the room for a moment. I could try to install again and pay more attention, augh.
I don't have a large enough flash drive at the moment, but I'll see if I can get ahold of one.
So this seems like more of a software than a hardware thing, judging on most of the replies?
Yes, it is probably from a badly burned DVD and it couldn't copy or access that driver while installing; hence the error.
It could also be from a bad download itself but this is less likely.
This confuses me as the installation went smoothly the first time from this same DVD, though I'll take your word for it, it's a better option than having to RMA some hardware. (:
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