Tallix

You said you might be able to user Windows Server or Linux to make this EVEN FASTER.
 
Yes, please.
 
Additionally, I would argue that you should do this on Linux since most consumers and enthusiasts could get their hands on a Linux distro pretty easily for free, whereas Windows Server costs some extra cash (or a lot of extra cash), and part of the point was to save money.

You said you might be able to user Windows Server or Linux to make this EVEN FASTER.
 
Yes, please.
 
Additionally, I would argue that you should do this on Linux since most consumers and enthusiasts could get their hands on a Linux distro pretty easily for free, whereas Windows Server costs some extra cash (or a lot of extra cash), and part of the point was to save money.

I'm not going to claim to be an expert on cable management, but why on earth would you allow cables to be strewn across the entrance to your workspace??? Also, is that a multimeter just sitting on the ground?

More like to make someone faint by tripping over a cable and getting a concussion

My mom has started leaving her things in my room, so it's not just my artful collection of boxes. To counter, I've started buying anime figurines. Really sorry about the small text, by the way.

You cant get a vanilla chrome OS install for anything but for chromebooks, this requires a Chromebook recovery tool image, but even then if you get that it more than likely wont work due to hardware identification, if it doesn't match its database it will treat it at tampered and wont allow chrome OS to boot.
your options are chromium OS (open source version of Chrome OS and without the licences)
There is also chromiixum http://chromixium.org/
This is basically based on Ubuntu.
 
Another way you could do this is run a server edition of your favourate Linux distro or Arch Linux/Gentoo and build a barebones using the budgie desktop and installing chrome os, although you still wont have all the licences for stuff like silverlight.

Run boot and nuke. http://www.dban.org/download
It will take a couple hours, but all your data will be gone.

Geany and GEdit are good alternatives to Notepad++. 
PlayOnLinux is what you will use to install windows games, if your game is not listed then it is probably more work than it is worth. Of course there is Steam for Ubuntu.

AskUbuntu tends to be a bit more lenient about grammar than most Linux help forums. Now, if you seek help on Ubuntu Forums proper, then you will have to take care to communicate as clearly as possible (which you should always do anyway).
 
At any rate, AskUbuntu is probably a better place to ask than here, since there are many more Ubuntu experts browsing that forum.
 
HOWEVER!!
 
Asking questions that have already been answered elsewhere is greatly looked down upon in the Linux community. Make sure that before you ask anything, do some Google searching. Make sure to include things like the software and hardware you're using, the fact that you're using Ubuntu, etc.

Gotta love people suggesting to run cleaner apps when OP said they even did a fresh Windows install.
 
The ISP wouldn't be the cause of their computer slowing down.
 
From what I gathered, it's not their network speed that's slow, but their computer.
 
 
How old is the computer? Update LAN/wifi drivers.
 
Check your hard drive health, as well.

Some things I thought of to check:
What is your CPU utilization on Windows? I seriously doubt that CPU would have issues though. Just a thing to check.  Since you are on Windows, you are using Samba to connect to the shares. Samba can only use a single core on the CPU for handling network traffic. Again, probably doesn't matter, but something to be aware of. Open your Network Adapter page (right click network icon -> click Open Network and Sharing Center -> Change Adapter settings) and right click the adapter. Click Properties -> Driver -> Update Driver. Or go here and get your OS' LAN drivers for the motherboard (if you haven't already ofc). Also, go back to the Adapter Properties and go to Advanced Tab then go down to "Speed and Duplex". See if 1.0 Gbps Full Duplex is an option, and if it is, switch it to that as a test (switch it back after testing file transfers as you want it on auto if you don't have an issue with auto). Are you using TeraCopy? Just curious. Avoiding Windows' specific stuff is a plus usually.
 
Based on that image, you are not using TeraCopy. I recommend trying it, if only to find out there's a better copier out there (imo) than Windows' default.

I found the following through Google of things you could try:
http://superuser.com/questions/94715/windows-7-file-transfer-speed-over-gigabit-is-slow
http://www.computing.cc/windows-vista/how-to-fix-slow-shared-network-file-transfer-on-windows-vista/
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/office/en-US/5fa159e3-2053-4d8d-b0a9-11424c7eb196/are-you-seeing-slow-windows-7-network-performance?forum=w7itproperf
 
You could try iperf, as mentioned in the second comment here: 
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2311497
 
Be sure to run it in UDP mode or increase the window size (how much data is transferred, basically).

Try putting Linux onto a USB stick and seeing whether it detects the HDD. Sounds like it might be a dead SATA connection or something. Performing a BIOS update might fix it.
Sorry I can't be more help.