i enter the windows installation disk, it then says searching for system hardware, then restarts, any particular reason why it does this (continuously)

The searching for system hardware, is this the one in the Windows Installation? Also is it the one at the top of the screen or does it show the blue screen loading lots of drivers?

(Presuming an XP install from your description)

i enter the windows disk, its a black screen with the writing as described above. the computer then just restarts itself (no error message or blue scree), then goes to the searching hardware thing and does the same thing again.

I'm no expert, but to me it would be either:

a) Windows can't load the files

or

b) Windows can't show the UI

Test a by putting disc in another pc. Test b by trying a different disc.

Is this Vista or XP, and is it a factory machine or a selfbuild?

i tried putting in a mother board disc in it and it loaded that fine (but i didnt understand the rest of it, something about putting in a floppy to make a backup of a windows type or something like that, but i cant even see a floppy drive so ).

im not sure if the disc works, i could try it in this laptop...do i need to shut it down first?

Just put the disc in and try copying it to your harddrive should check if it works.

how do i even do that??

i think the disc is faulty. doesnt work in another computer. i just tried using a compaq thing and it loaded the options and stuff. so im guessing its the disc? but how do i do the hard drive thing?

open up the disc drive, an copy all files

its merely a test for the disc being broken, it seems only solution with a diagnosed bad disc is to use a different install one.

ok i put cd in this comp and it works...

well i can view all the files, should i put on a pen drive or something?

No because it won't be able to boot that way.

It's a long shot, but try copying the disc using a disc burning software, it could fix it, unlikely to though.

lol well i dunno wtf im supposed to do then

Hello. I'm an expert at these things.

Check your BIOS for a RAID configuration and disable it (assuming you have just one hard drive). Some machines fail to boot or install or run Windows if the BIOS has a RAID configuration option (Dell for example). Turn off disk security in the BIOS if you have it also - that stopped my Dell Latitude D630 from working when it was imaged at HQ.

any chance of step by step pls :O ^.^