OEM XP won't install on my formatted sysyem

[JTH]

Hello,

I was having trouble with XP so I decided to completely wipe my hard disk to factory clean and start over. I went to Download.com and used this. I then found out it was just a demo that wiped 25% of my disk so I used a better software to finish the job and wiped the whole disk properly.

Now when I put in my Dell XP Home SP1 OEM CD, I get errors saying that either fastfat.sys, ohci1394.sys or some other file that I can't remember is corrupted and then I have to restart. I've tried my disk through Windows on another computer and it gets to the installation screen with no errors, plus the CD doesn't have any major scratches and no real sign or ware, so I don't think its it fault. I reckon this 25% demo hard drive deletetion program is to blame. How can I fix up my hard drive to be able to load Windows again?!!

Thanks in advance, JTH

[MulderMan]

why didnt you use the xp cd to format the drive and do a fresh install? so cant you get into the install screen or anything?

[Doobie]

Is your computer a dell? If not that is the reason it wont install.

[JTH]

Dooobie: disc is valid, have had to re-install a good few times before and it's worked fine.

MulderMan: Because the last time I did that it didn't overwrite properly and I was left with "two" XP's (I have a recent thread about it on this board). I decided this time I would "do it right" so to speak and go all out in the format. Unfortunately, it kind of backfired. Nope, I can't get into the installation screen. It loads for about a minute and a half as normal, then just as the screen is about to pop up I get a file error. Like I said, its often a different file - just today I got "error code 7" or something under the filename instead of the usual "file is corrupted".

Thanks for the help so far

[JTH]

...I think my hard drive is really messed up. I couldn't even install Linux this morning when I tried to. I got an error about an invalid partition or something.

[Confused]

If you haven't done so already, I would download the zerofill utility from your HD manufacturer and start fresh.
Chas

[Rick Hall]

I beleive that the Dell disk is looking for a volume label on your HD and you probably did not label the disk with the original label after you formatted.

[JTH]

Great, some good news - thanks for the info guys!

Rick Hall, if I download the WD zerofill software that Confused recommended, will it give the hard drive a label that I need?

[Rick Hall]

NO, you have to know what the original label was and enter it manually

[MulderMan]

is that a measure to do with piracy? the dell xp disk wont install on a machine without the right label? cos ive seen a awful lot of dell xp cd's selling on ebay.

[Rick Hall]

That is to make sure that you do notuse the recovery disk to set up an OS on another system.

[JTH]

I've got WD's Data Lifegaurd for DOS and selected "Set up my hard drive". I thought that might do it but now I don't even get to the loading screen. Just after "loading from boot disc", I get the error and have to restart:

"A disk-read error has occured"

I still can't load Fedora Linux, or even Slax (CD-based Linux).

[Confused]

Do you have a Dell PC?

Are you trying to load a Dell recovery CD on a non Dell PC? If so it won't work.

If you have a Dell PC, I'm wondering if Dell stored some BIOS information there like Compaq used to do. They had a small partition that if you wiped it out you were screwed. I didn't think Dell did that but if they did, then your attempts at cleaning the drive probably removed the partition.
Chas

[JTH]

Confused, yes the Dell CD is legit for the computer. I hope I did not delelte an important partition, but assuming that's not the case what are my options now? Like I said WD Lifegaurd changed it to "a disk-read error has occured" but it has by no means fixed the problem. Any ideas anyone?

[glc]

Get the WD DLG Diagnostic, not the Data Lifeguard Tools. That's what has the zero fill utility on it.

http://support.wdc.com/download/dlg/dlgdiag11.zip

The Dell CD is keyed to the bios, not anything to do with the hard drive. It will install once you get that drive properly zeroed out.

[JTH]

GLC, great thanks that seems to have done it! I will let you know if I have any further trouble