Parition issue

[ShadowStarshine]

Hey all, hoping someone could help with this issue.

I wanted to reformat my WinXP build but also wanted to save a whole lot of data. I used Partition Magic to seperate the harddrive into two bits and moved all the data I wanted to save in the previously unused section. I pretty much used all the default settings for the wizard to do that. Anyways, I boot into my Windows XP CD and go to delete the partition, and install XP. It stops me stating this partition is not windows XP compatible. Size wasen't an issue. I do not get a choice to format it or anything.

I have since tried Fixmbr and Fixboot from the recovery console. I tried formating the entire drive from the console. I also am using an Ubuntu live CD (which I am on right now) and fiddled with the Partition manager but I am not really sure what I'm doing with it. I tried flagging the HD to "boot" as suggested by doing some googling but to no avail.

All the info on my computer has been squeezed into my second harddrive so this drive I can do anything to. Does anyone know any linux compatible solutions or some recovery console options I have not tried?

 

[Osiris]

When you used PM, what file system did you select?

 

[ShadowStarshine]

I used NTFS

 

[Nubbleet]

It's probably formatted to the wrong type of file system. Make sure it's formatted to NTFS.

Edit: Oops. Posted just as you did. Let me get this straight. You have 2 partitions. 1 has data. 1 is blank.

 

[ShadowStarshine]

2 Harddrives. It used to be 2 harddrives, 3 partitions. The one with windows split into half, one for storage and one to format. Since then I just formatted the entire drive and made it into 1 partition. So 2 drives 2 partitions now.

But yeah changed it to NTFS and gave it the flagboot, still gives me the "Not XP compatible" issue.

 

[Osiris]

Are the drives Sata? If so it may be looking for the drivers or unplug the other sata drives and try again. Do you have any type of card reader, if so remove them and then try to install. Also make sure this partition has enough space to install XP.

 

[ShadowStarshine]

Drives are indeed Sata. I'm not 100% sure what card reader refers to. I want to say no..

Could partition magic break drivers or something? I don't understand how when I bought them initially I could install windows but now I can't.

 

[Nubbleet]

Also make sure it's a primary partition.

 

[ShadowStarshine]

yeah been making them primary with Partition Manager

 

[Nubbleet]

Try to delete the partition, and then boot to the XP CD and see if you can format it through there.