My laptop won't open applications.

[falseg0d]

Awhile ago I attempted to clone my hard drive onto a larger one, the software messed up and it cloned it the other way around. I threw a hard drive in my computer and I've been attempting to fix things since then.
Someone managed to get the drivers set and I have internet access (like right now).

I can open internet explorer. Anything in the download folder opens and works, so I can now open up quick time and itunes. Normal things that came with the computer like recycle bin, solitare, notepad, calculater etc. all open.

If I try to open things like limewire, aim, or previously itunes (which I had the downloader in the folder and it somehow was able to redownload it) nothing happens. If I try to download anything from online it goes through all of the steps to download it but nothing happens. If I say download-open it does everything up until it's actually supposed to open. If I press save it does everything until it's supposed to save.
I can't find anything after I "download" it so it's not saving anything.

The model of my laptop is an acer aspire 4520.
I don't remember the model that the hard drive came from but I do know it was an HP.


If worse comes to worse could I just buy a new OS, install that and it would act as if it was new?

 

[mhelm1]

When you fixed the computer did you do a upgrade or clean install.?
It sounds like the programs are no longer associated/registered with windows.
I would first try to reinstall all applications that do not work. You should loose no data that way.

 

[Guest]

"If worse comes to worse could I just buy a new OS, install that and it would act as if it was new?"

Sounds like the quickest solution -- though you will still need to download some drivers from the CD which came with the Acer or from their support site.

 

[falseg0d]

I can't reinstall anything because when I try to nothing saves nor does it open to run an installer. Whatever I have on here now the installer was already on the computer.

It does seem like the quickest, but I don't want to have to spend 100 dollars on this if I can fix it.