Any ideas?

[#1]

lol.
If I commented on that I'd be opening up the windows vs linux debate and this thread would go off topic!
All I'm going to say is that its the same OS that I've used across multiple computers. They all run binary code and thus it should work.
Linux on this machine is no good to me. I need it back in service as my file server and VM machine!

[#2]

Umm....
Ubuntu + samba + free VMWare server should do you proud for that then. It does me...

[#3]

I've looked into this before but linux just doesn't cut the mustard for my uses.
For a start... this machine is one of my headless collection - IE it has no monitor, keyboard or mouse normally attached. Therefore I can not login normally and then fire up a VNC server.
With XP, I set a password, it boots to the login screen and I can login remotely using Remote Desktop - without first logging in as console at the machine.
Linux doesn't support this. I'm sure there probably is a hack around it but I'm afraid I'm not a big VNC fan unless its over 56k. I'm also no where near experienced enough with linux to set anything as complex as that up either. Heck.. I couldn't get suse9 to install open office from a rpm!
I'm afraid the machine must run XP for me to get full functionality back. It's starting to look like it could be a mobo fault and without completely breaking 2 or 3 other machines down temporarily for a parts swapping session I can't even conclusively decide that! I don't unfortunately have the time or the space to break other machines down - This place is far too small for anything like that!
Looks like it'll get stuffed back into its hole again soon until the next round of  "Can I be bothered?" lol

[#4]

perhaps you need to investigate ssh?  all you need to do is enable it in system services and enter the ip of the headless box in a browser, or console on your accessing machine.  easy peasy, so i'm told.