XP giving black screen after clean install. Several attempts with no luck.

I am trying to fix up an old computer for someone. I got it up and going then, after about 1 day of working fine, it froze up and rebooting did nothing. So I just decided to start from scratch again. Same thing. I replaced the motherboard battery, the hard drive, and the cd rom so I don't think it's a hardware thing. I also tried to install Ubuntu and at the same place on the install, right at the very end, it reboots and then all hell breaks loose. Ubuntu gave me a TON of error codes. XP just gives me a black screen. One thing that did strike me as odd with the XP install; It didn't ask for the product key. It just skipped over that part. The first time it did though. I did the format for the partition to erase current windows install and all that like your supposed to. What am I doing wrong or is this a hardware issue?

Oh, and I forget to mention it hasn't had a post beep when starting up that anyone who has had this computer can remember. I chalked that up to no speaker that I could see coming off the motherboard. Not sure if that would have anything to do with this years later.

Hi, did you checked Graphic Card ? It could be problem with GPU. I have similar problem with my computer.

Hello, the graphic card is integrated into the motherboard. I have no problem seeing everything up until that last part of the install. I can see the error codes that the Ubuntu gave me. Only XP goes black. In fact, when it gets to that black screen my monitor says "Invalid Format" instead of "No PC signal" I have the 256 min memory on two 128 sticks and have 3 total that I have been swapping in and out still with no luck.

Ok, I was able to run Ubuntu and play around from the CD. All visual is there so I know the video is working fine. Is there anything else that it could be? I have gotten the same results as stated above on two different hard drives. The latest one I know for a fact is good. Any other suggestions?

Hello and Welcome !

Run a Hardware Diagnostic follow this link for instructions http://captaindebugger.wordpress.com/hardware-diagnostic/

Thank you Capt.Jack. The "Ultimate CD" Download is not free, and $50 is a to steep for me right now. I do need to be able to use a CD since the computer will not hold an OS. Is there another site that might offer a similar download that's free?

Ultimate CD is free if they ship you the disk then it cost you. Here is the link http://ubcd.mirror.fusa.be/ubcd503.iso other mirrors are here http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/download.html