I've recently posted on a boot problem, but this has changed to a partioning/formatting problem. I have a new WD EIDE disk (80Gb.) that is intended to replace the now unbootable boot disk that came with a Dell desktop system. Due to an unfortunate sequence of problems, I'm now trying to do a fresh installation on the new WD disk. While the disk diagnostics from WD are happy with the disk, and I've been able to use them to write 0's to all the sectors on the disk, when I go to fresh install Windows XP on it, Windows XP cannot make and format a partition on it. During the setup phase, Windows XP can write to it, the disk light lights up while setup is initially copying files from the CD to the disk, but then Windows XP cannot make and format a partition on it. The only thing that I can think of is that the IDE driver on the Windows XP install disk that I have isn't recent enough... Is there any help for me on this one? Any ideas? Thanks. -Roger

I wonder if the problem is really that I my Windows XP CD-ROM is an upgrade version, since I installed it originally on top of Windows ME...Now that I'm installing onto a disk that doesn't have any trace of Windows anything left, the upgrade CD-ROM won't work? Weird that this shows up by not being willing/able to make and format a partition, though. I'm confused... Any help? -Roger

That sounds very strange! Using an upgrade CD should at least get you to the point where it asks for proof of prior ownership of windows. It should ask you to mount a win98, winME or other OS install CD. Maybe posting the (exact) error message that you get will help. Sorry, I do not check for private messages

Easy !!! Get a '98SE made and using the diskette, FDISK and reformat the HDD and then try your installation again. When Google isn't your best pal

If it's a Dell you might have a small partition on the drive that is messing things up. Writing all zeros should have removed it, but ... Try this: Download and run DelPart; http://www.russelltexas.com/delpart.htm It should remove all partitioning. Sorry, I do not check for private messages

I use this method. WIPE OUT http://www.lurkhere.com/~nicefiles/index.html http://www.lurkhere.com/~nicefiles/wipeout.zip Freeware. WIPE OUT: as the name implies, this utility will absolutely WIPE your hard drive. For those times when an industrial strength cleaner is needed to remove any pesky files Fdisk may have left behind. A readme file is included in the zip file. WARNING...WIPE OUT will remove ALL data from the Hard Drive. DIRECTIONS 1- Unzip file 2- Copy WIPEOUT to a Win9x boot disk 3- Boot with Win9x disk, make sure the bios is set to boot from floppy 1st. 4- At the A:\> type "wipeout c: /nq /np" (no quotes) /nq = no queries - you will not be asked if you are sure. /np = no partitions - this will overwrite the MBR Press Enter. Now run fdisk to set up partitions. http://fdisk.radified.com/ When done, reboot & format. Or, use your XP cd.

This is the original poster, Roger. I've downloaded the Windows XP boot floppies from Microsoft, and by booting from them and switching to a non-bootable Windows XP install disk from another Dell system that I have, was able to get a partition made and complete a "Quick" format. So now Windows Setup looks at the disk, and sees the partition with an NTFS filesystem, and offers the choice of using it. So I can get beyond that point. However, now the installation stops where Setup is "Examining my disks". There's a text graphic that indicates the percentage of the disk scanned, and that never moves. So, it looks like Windows has decided not to complete the installation for some reason. Any ideas on how to get beyond this point? I have a feeling that if I went and bought a new installation version of Windows XP that would work. But there must be some way to get beyond this point. Thanks for any help. -Roger