HELP! Files corrupting when trying to install OS

Ok here goes...

Built my own pc a while back and it was working ok til lately. It all started one day when I booted up my pc and got the error "the following file is corrupt or missing: \winnt\system32\config\systemced" After trying everything I reinstalled windows. everything was fine til the next day when the exact same problem happened (I formatted before reinstalling). 4 times it has happened now. I was getting a couple of errors when I tried to install w2k but kept trying and it installed eventually each time. however now it wont even let me get as far as installing or to recovery console. When I boot from the w2k cd and it starts loading files like host controllers etc, I get various error messages ranging from

"the file dmboot.sys is corrupted" to "the file dmio.sys is corrupted" etc.

I've tried 2 different cds, 2 different harddrives (one was ata and the other ide so it isnt a cabling problem) and I have reseated the ram. Still the same problems! It's got me stumped, anyone any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

p.s. please dont say its my motherboard...

Bob

[Uranium-235]

2 different cd's and 2 different HD's? I would have to say motherboard or CPU

[Prometheus]

RAM maybe....

[Jason425]

borrow ram from a friend..

my bet would be RAM as well, though a damaged, overheated processor could cause corruption as well. Run memtest to check for memory errors (let it run at least overnight).

or it could be HDD controller problem due to drivers
or overheating like said above

Originally Posted by James

my bet would be RAM as well, though a damaged, overheated processor could cause corruption as well. Run memtest to check for memory errors (let it run at least overnight).

Cheers lads. How do I run memtest James?

[Prometheus]

Download it

Google for downloadable RAM tests boot it on a floppy

[Jason425]

www.memtest86.com and boot from either floppy or cdrom

Cheers. Ok bad news (for me) I've replaced the RAM with RAM I "borrowed" from work and it let me get to the installation on the cd. I though "yay thats done it!" so I tried again just to be sure and guess what... "the file dmio.sys is corrupted". So where to now? Processor?