Okay try getting a copy of HDDLife or HD Drive Analyst. That will tell you how the life of the drive is.
If this is the only machine you have install Vista 64Bit on you can install it as many times as you want on the same machine and never run out of licenses. It is only a different machine that matters.
IT could be the drivers. If you have any minidump files upload them to sendspace or bondogo.
Free file hosting and image hosting - BADONGO Send big files the easy way. Files too large for email attachments? No problem!
Just zip them up and upload them. I will analyze them for you and let you know what i find.