Right, I've decided to go for a reinstall of 64 bit XP because at the moment Windows won't load up at all. I've got the CD in my drive, and all is well.
When I switch the computer on it says Boot from CD : _. Then nothing else happens. This just stays on the screen. No key press seems to make any difference.
You need to change the boot order in the BIOS so that Boot from a CD is the first option. Then with the disc inside the drive you will have the option then to boot from the disc and format the drive.
Have you created back ups of your work and your drivers?
This may sound stupid but caught me out once , i was using a usb keyboard and it wouldn't let me do anything , i replaced it with the original that came with the PC and it worked fine.