Originally Posted by nffc

The problem is that the system32 files have got missing or corrupt, this can be because the data itself is on a bad sector or similar (that's the HD) or because some messy software muck has screwed it...

There's no plausible reason for a 10 mo HDD to decide to just go up creek, it's under warranty anyway, I'd suggest running PowerMax on it just to be sure, if it is dead at least you know (and if it's not, you can back up and reformat, or whatever).

If your HDs are failing on a regular basis then it's probably not bad luck. Maybe a dodgy IDE controller on the mainboard but a poor quality PSU is more likely, if it's muck like Bestek or Q-tec then you're going to have a lot of problems, likewise if it's under powered it will struggle to deliver the wattage you want it to, which will cause spikes and can stress components.