Hmm... very tricky indeed. When it goes to check the install disc before proceeding with the installation, do you let it run? If not, let it and see what happens - perhaps the disc or the drive is going bad.

If all is well, then I guess try another hard drive anyway, if you can. Other than that, I'm out of ideas lol.

Sounds like the hard drive might be going bad. Have a listen when it freezes up.

Darn, that's too bad. Have you tried reinstalling Mac OS?

No, I haven't.

I'm not sure if 7 is already installed and you don't want to reinstall it. I would Google around and see what you can find. Yep, even MS-DOS will coincide with it; just remember the partition for MS-DOS needs to be 2 GB or less. MS-DOS 7.1 might support large FAT32 partitions, I don't recall.

But yeah, with Windows NT the partition on which you install it would have to be 4 GB or less in size.

On the contrary, it's simple as could be, because the older OS doesn't need to know a thing about the newer one or be compatible with it in any way. (One may dual-boot Windows and Linux or Mac OS X). Simply use FDISK or another tool to split the hard drive into two partitions. Install the older OS first on one partition, and the newer OS next on the other. The newer OS's bootloader will detect the older OS upon installation and present you with a menu at boot time to select which one to start.

Absolutely, 100% possible.

x86-64 is the generic name for all 64-bit capable x86 processors. A quick Google will tell you that the Athlon II is 64-bit capable.

I put the Inspiron 1525's hard drive in the N4020 when I got it. Worked absolutely perfect, and it was so powerful! And it got 6 hours of battery life! It's a 64-bit processor. x86-64 has full support for 16-bit mode software - I've run DOS many a time on my 64-bit machines. Many modern self-booting software packages like SpinRite are based on DOS. Everything in it looks perfect. The only visible damage from striking a wall is a loose hinge cover, and a corner of the keyboard bezel is loose because the part the screw goes in broke off. Nothing super glue can't fix.

Although I fail to comprehend your logic on how having a dead hard drive must have meant the whole laptop was on its way out. (Before knowing the thing struck a wall twice, of course.)