XP Pro is not the issue as Brett said, all my machines are XP Pro, it could well have been something in your windows config that was the problem and reinstalling with home sorted it out. Pulse jumping around is no use, probably best to give up on the laptop and buy a cheap desktop.
Regards the motors etc, sounds like either you do not have ports and pins set correctly in Mach or the wiring is not correct, read the drive/Breakout boards manuals and see if enables are needed and double check everything else is wired as per documentation.
Hood