Title says it all. I simply backed up all my files and attempted a standard clean install of Windows XP, making a new partition and everything, and midway through, the screen became littered with artifacts. "+m" and "y"'s are scattered across the screen.

The video card is an EVGA GeForce 7600 GT that I got roughly two years ago and hasn't given me any problems until just now. This usually happens when the VRAM starts to go, when the card isn't getting enough power, or when the card overheats, but I didn't see much reason for any of these to happen.

Video issues aside, I'm completely unable to load Windows from the new install I did after attempting to install the video card/motherboard drivers via Disc. When the disc was spinning up it reset on me, and I haven't been able to enter Windows, repair the installation, nor create a new fresh one without files coming back missing, or unable to be copied, which leads to a STOP error.

So basically, I'm without a computer. Mine is complete toast after just trying to do a simple re-installation. I don't really have the means of replacing it all at the moment, so if that ends up being what I have to do, I'll probably be out of commission here for awhile.

So is the problem the video card or the install?
Reading it, it sounds like you completed the install but can't install drivers for the card because it resets when you insert the disc to do so...

If the video card is the problem, can you use the MoBo's onboard graphics until you have the drivers installed for the better card, or do you not have an onboard graphics?

I fear it's not a problem with the drivers. Drivers won't help at all if the card is artifacting before windows even loads, as drivers aren't loaded on bootup, they load with windows.

I do not have an on board graphics either for this mobo unfortunately.

Graphical problems aside, I said the windows installation itself seems unrepairable/replaceable even with my original disk.

I'm at a loss, it doesn't make sense that it would give me errors for missing files/files that couldn't copy over unless the disk itself had problems, which it couldn't because I just did this process to my girlfriend's computer.

Did you try formatting the disk with GParted or something? Perhaps it copied wrong for some odd reason. It might also be a damaged HDD. Maybe you had a power surge one night that didn't do massive damage but enough to mess up your HDD and graphics card?

Also, you don't happen to have any older video cards around, do you? I take it not if you haven't tried that yet.

The computer was running perfect and smooth last night. No damage whatsoever visible.
Then in the middle of Windows installing fresh on my partition, the screen artifacted badly, and every inch or so was blank or stuck with weird symbols.

Corrupt installation media is a likely culprit. If this only occurred once the operating system was installed, it stands to reason the installation is at fault, ceteris paribus.

Another possibility is faulty installation destination. Your hard drive could be failing.

Here are the options you should try, in this order:

Re-reinstall Windows on the original hard drive.
Install Windows on a fresh hard drive that is not the previous one.

Have the same exact card. I am worried now, because mine's coming around to two years now, and ive noticed some performance loss.

I need a new ♥♥♥♥ machine anyways.

If you registered the card within 30 days of purchase, or you bought the card before November 2006, you can get EVGA to send you a replacement via RMA.

I might be able to do this, I have to check my invoice as to when I bought it.

Also, got the windows working, but the Video card is just artifacting all over the place. Definitely bad video card now. Crashes windows with a stop error anytime I try to update the drivers, so I'll have to settle for this for the meantime.

A friend of mine had a similar problem. But I forget how I fixed it. I think we just rebooted a couple of times. I forget. He had a poor little overheating on-board vidcard.

Look at the capacitors on the video card, maybe some of them already dead. Try another video card to be sure that it's all about your malfunctioning video card. Have you installed 4 gigs of ram recently?

Don't have another video card to test, I already checked the capacitors (none look damaged or busted caps) and I have no installed 4 Gigs lately.

I'm looking to get a new machine as soon as I can anyway, this build is going on 5 or 6 years old now...

Hey. just joind after i saw your problem my ATI had nearly same problem and i found a very helpful soulition IF it's the video card, I noticed this is old topic but hey maybe you'll see this solution.
i removed all bits from the card including the i/o shield and placed it gpu side down with the card raised up on 3 sides by tiny balls of aluminum foil and placed it on a very thin cookie sheet. i preheated the oven to 385f, put the card in and waited around 8-10 minutes. i carefully removed the cookie sheet and placed it on top of the oven to cool down naturally. waited about an hour and voila! who knows maybe it'll work for you , but if your feeling iffy, all it does is resodder all the joints incase of micro fractures. hope it works for you

Keep in mind that that solution will void your warranty.

What the hell possessed you to put your video card in the oven?
Not discussing the efficacy of your solution, just wondering, how the hell did that come up as a solution?

I was just thinking the same thing. also, sig'd.
have you tried doing a hard power down, leaving it for a while and then poweing it back up again. occasionally, my GPU artifacts and locks into VGA mode. it gets fixed by me just letting it cool down with no power in it. probably a better idea to try than baking your card.