Deleted partition?

[TheRanger]

It sounds to me like the hard drive is shot. If the boot disk isn't initializing it, then there is a major boot problem in the boot sector of the hard drive.

 

[EricB]

I had got a customer computer with almost the same problem. I could delete it, but when I fomat it and the end of the format it would stop and say invalid partition table. it was a bad harddrive

try deleting it with this first.

http://downloads.maxtor.com/_files/...ds/powermax.exe

then format it

 

[Chrisaschaeffer]

okay I can get it to sort of boot, but it keeps going to a prompt. After that everything I type it claims is a bad command....

 

[para[android]]

To me it just sounds like you deleted the partition. So now you need to create a new one. It won't let you format because there is not a partition to format.

Use fdisk to create a new/reorganize your partitions and then install. I think the XP disk also has these utilities but I am not as familiar with them.

 

[RangerXero]

The xp setup disk will give the option to delet and create partitions , just boot from cd and read everything so you dont miss it . Its really easy , just hit install xp when it asked , dont do a repair , and then it should get to a sceen that shows ytou the partions on disk and gives some options to delete partion then youll get to a screen that asked to create partition and format useing fat 16 , fat 32 or ntsf file system , your choice there ...

 

[Chrisaschaeffer]

Okay but when I try to bood from the xp disc it never does, its set to boot from the floppy....I cant get into the file menu to change it now

 

[Nubius]

Getting into the BIOS is by hitting DEL on most systems at POST when the system first comes on. Othertimes it's F2, F10, or F12 are the other ones I've seen.

That's where you'd be changing the boot sequence

 

[Chrisaschaeffer]

I can gett o that, new issue there ~L~ It has a bios password that I do not have since this is a used system

 

[180Mhz]

if its saying "Memory" its probably refering to ram. how much does the laptop have? 128 is the bare minimum for xp. anything lower and the system wont even try to start.

 

[Sui]

I can gett o that, new issue there ~L~ It has a bios password that I do not have since this is a used system

thats the funniest thing I've heard .... uhm ok, I don't know your laptop, but mine has a bios battery under the main battery. If you find it pop it out and it should reset the bios and password....._should_