I have a 2 year old HP tower using Windows 7. It freezes while using Outlook mail, IE or even Solitaire. Best Buy claims I have a software problem not hardware. So I had it wiped and Windows 7 installed. It still freezes and I get the check for disc consistency notice. Will a new hard drive solve my problem?

I get the check for disc consistency notice

When you get this error, does it prompt to fix it (run chkdsk or error checking)?
Have you run chkdsk or Error Checking?

Yes, it is likely a new HD will fix this, but so might running chkdsk /r (note the space before the "/"). You might have to Run chkdsk from a Boot CD/DVD.