Ok... so here is my problem....
 
Since the start of this year 2006, my southbridge fan has been kinda loud, eventually slowing down at times, then not starting on first boot (or until minuets after the first), now not starting at all....
 
I have ran the computer ever since, of course not without any alternate source of cooling... Since it has ceased to function, I have kept the slide part of the case open, and an external desktop fan pointed in the direction of the southbridge....
 
For a time it seemed like (although the idea is horrible I know) that it was fine, but now I am looking at serious functionality loss...
 
For example: I just downloaded the demo for Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. After clicking on the setup file, it took a while to start (I have noticed this with other large-installation files) but still I managed to install it. After the installation upon going to start the game, I doubble click the Icon, and wait for what I would think a very long time for a game to start (Other games with even larger file sizes such as Battlefield 2 work fine, and start up what I would think of as instantly) and the game never actually starts... from what I can tell, I have not let it sit there for more than an hour or two...
 
So - Is this the southbridge failing? or something else... maybe the OS is corrupted? Registry? or other hardware/software?
 
 
If someone could help me with this, I would much appreciate it.
 
If you need more information I can provide it, please anyone who thinks they know what could possibly be the problem, respond in this thread/pm/email (lostMK@gmail.com)

Considering BF2 does still work fine, and you have this issue with larger files more than smaller, have you considered the drive might be fragmented?  

 
No the larger game runs much easier... for an odd reason
 
but the main problem is installation - be it install shield or the msi setup things and winzip self-extracting programs
 
Edit: why will my sig not show up... It has my pc specs