Bert, I have a Linux emergency disk that runs from the CD without installing, but it couldn't seem to set the HD going, despite my following it's detailed instructions over and over and..... After I downloaded its virus-killer updates too. I played around with that thing for 3hrs before giving up.
And which Linux do you recommend? I currently have cover-disk DVDs with three different ones on. Damn Small Linux, Denbian, and Red hat(not Fedora.) But I am a child of the windows generation, my first machine an Amiga, so DOS frightens me.
Sorry, my sense of humour is not firing on all cylinders, currently.

Ebbie, it's way deyond me, too. I can't work out if it's a soft or hardware problem. Perhaps it is puddingware?

John, I'm just about to cuddle-up to your links. Thank you.