Trying to reformat XP on HP laptop, need help

[PENGUINKK]

I have an HP Pavillion ze2200 laptop, and I was just infected with a bad trojan and need to reformat. From what I've been told, you just press F10 at the bootup, and it should be self explanitory. It's not, for some reason.

I'm brought to a PheonixBIOS Setup Utility menu, where I can browse the categories of Main, Security, Advanced, Tools, and Exit. It doesn't appear to be anything like what it's supposed to. There are no clear options to reformat or anything.

Another way was going to All Programs, HP Tools, and then Recovery, but I can't find HP Tools in my start bar.

Help?

 

[carnageX]

Look when it boots up, and watch it on the HP splash screen. Should be a "Press XX to enter recovery" or something like that.

 

[v8killaz]

if you want to install a clean copy of xp and reformat use your operating system xp disc and pop it in on bootup and it should be pretty easy from there

thats what id recoomend
or if u just want to format go to my computer and right click your harddrive and it should give an option

 

[carnageX]

v8killaz...HP's dont come with XP discs (nor Vista discs for that matter). They have a recovery partition now.

And you can't reformat your main drive from within Windows...

 

[Baez]

Most likely F1 or F10 on an HP.

 

[PENGUINKK]

Look when it boots up, and watch it on the HP splash screen. Should be a "Press XX to enter recovery" or something like that.

Did that. Esc for a bootup menu, F10 for setup, and I think F12 for some other thing, but they're not recovery.

if you want to install a clean copy of xp and reformat use your operating system xp disc and pop it in on bootup and it should be pretty easy from there

My laptop didn't come with an XP disc, it was already installed.

or if u just want to format go to my computer and right click your harddrive and it should give an option

Will this be a destructive reformat?

 

[Baez]

Don't ever reformat that way.

 

[PENGUINKK]

....Why?

 

[Baez]

Windows will start deleting things it needs. It's much better to use a CD or utility like GParted to reformat. But you still need an XP CD to reinstall.

 

[PENGUINKK]

Then why did HP put it on the system if it shouldn't be used?