[RainDawg]

Let me warn you against the use of the BitComet client. It is one of the few closed-source implementations of BitTorrent, a development that is strictly a GPL release. Not only this, but their screen-captures on their website (at least, last time I checked) display the illegal downloading of movies. Though the latter doesn't turn me off as much as the former, it's still an indication that the developers are rather unscrupulous in their use of BitTorrent as well as their disregard for the original license it was developed under.

For Windows XP SP2 (which I have) I highly recommend Azureus as a fully-open and very powerful client. Also, take a look at g3torrent. I agree, based on your description of the problem, that a flawed install of the original client was to blame. But if you'r going to switch over, please use one that complies with the open-source idology BT was created under.