I want to just level my computer and start from scratch again. I got a lot of crap going wrong with it and I'd like to just erase everything on it. How do I go about doing that on Windows XP?

use your system restore/windows disk

fdisk

pop a linux cd into the cd drive and install over everything

What is the best way to start from scratch? There are three ways to safely do this, but refrigerator thawing is recommended. Defrost the computer in its original wrapper on a tray in the refrigerator 24 hours for every 5 pounds. Never thaw a computer at room temperature.

You may also place the wrapped computer in the sink and cover it completely with cold water. This method requires about 30 minutes per pound. If the wrapping is torn, place the computer in another plastic bag, close securely, and then place in water.

For thawing, in the microwave, check the manufacturer’s instructions for the size of computer that will fit into your oven, the minutes per pound and the power level to use for thawing. Cook immediately after thawing.

i followed this article the other day, and my system seems to be working fine:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;313348

probably the simplest thing to do is reformat the harddrive using a windows 98 cd, then installing windows xp on the clean harddrive

fdisk is ok, but i recomend a low level format.....it turns everything on your hard drive to zeros. its like you got it directly from the manufacturer. when everything is zeros, there is nothing on it, completly clean