Well since I was finally able to get to a command prompt (through the recovery disk I downloaded today) I'm doing the following:

plugged in my external HD with my windows7 setup.exe file from school. Tried the "upgrade" installation option but it wouldn't allow it because it recognized I was booted from a startup disc and not actually windows.

Soooo.. I'm doing the complete reinstall. Hope it works will report back.

I wonder if that stinking ram chip was bad in the first place....

-David