Vista 64 has fallen on me an I can't get up

[PTRMAn]

I had some problems with my Vista 64 machine a few weeks ago - restarts over night led to display not working (I'd get a black screen with just a huge white arrow for a cursor). System restore fixed this a few times and I suspected it was an overnight Windows Update item.

After a few weeks of calm I again had daily crashes and BSDs. Now, however, the PC informed me there were NO system restore points. Hmmm.

After MANY restarts, SEVERAL BSODs while trying to boot from Vista install disk (how can that happen?) and one aborted reinstall, I finally just reformatted my C partition and reinstalled Vista. I did have one BSOD during this final reinstall, but after an auto restart everything seemed fine.

After finally getting Vista up and running again I started downloading programs I use, one of which was Norton 360 (free from my ISP Comcast). As soon as that tried to install I again got BSDs. Three in a row. Now I suspect it wasn't Windows Updates in the first place, but rather Norton all along.

Now finishing second day of many wasted hours attempting to fix this.

A summation of the problem so far:
1) no internet connection. Vista says I'm connected, but I can't get any pages to open (in regular mode) in any browser. I CAN access pages just fine in safe mode (seems odd). It seems to me that there's some little switch somewhere that I haven't turned on (or off) but for the life of me I can't find it or remember it.

2) Network magic may be part of the problem. I've used it for a few years to link all my pcs at my house together. I reinstalled it on the troubled pc but it is hung up - can't proceed with free trial/register key until I have internet access. I can't imagine that THAT is the problem since I had the problem without reinstalling Network magic, but there it is.

3) My pc somehow now has an invalid driver for my CD/DVD drive, so that doesn't work, which means I can't use the Vista disk for repair. Oy Vey - it would be funny if it wasn't happening to me.

4) Nvidia drivers for the two LAN ports (on the 780i) are fine, but it seems to me there's a memory that Nvidia drivers always caused problems and I usually stuck with a default driver (like Marvel?).

I'm going to keep working at it since the downed rig is my main one. If anyone has any suggestions I'll try. As a last possible resort I guess I could take it to Best Buy, although I REALLY don't want to do that.

[PTRMAn]

I managed to find the proper driver for the CD/DVD from the web,installed it and restarted. Viola! it works! Then another BSD.

Put Vista disk in and restart from disk to repair. I cracked the case and checked all the connections - everything is tight. Next step will be to reformat c drive (again) and (again) try to reinstall vista. Barring that I'll yank that HDD and then try to install to a second HDD. Jeez, what a pain!

[PTRMAn]

The problem was, in hindsight, simple.

I was trying to install Vista with an OEM disk from my other Vista PC. Once I realized what I had done I popped in the correct retail Vista disk and reinstall was a snap.

I feel like an idiot, but at least the problem is solved.