Windows and CentOS dual-boot problems

So I’m trying to installed CentOS on my workstation, and in the process, I messed up the boot loader. The net result of all my efforts is that I ended up doing a “repair” installation of Windows. During that time, something happened, and now the back ports on my workstation don’t work anymore. Windows shows them as being there and available, but no hardware plugged into them works.

Fearing the worst, I put in my CentOS DVD, and started the installation, to see if it could detect the mouse plugged into the back. It did. So now I need to try and re-install Windows, since obviously I have a Windows problem, not a hardware problem.

I should probably install my Firewire card into the workstation before I go much further. I want to start doing some music recording in the future, and it looks like most pro equipment uses Firewire.