[newcomer21]

I'm not sure if I am in the correct forum, but I have a laptop that according to a computer repair place that the HDD had failed. I purchased a new HDD and installed it. When trying to install windows it brought up an error that said the HDD could not be formatted or the HDD was bad. I took the HDD to the computer repair shop and they tested the new HDD and it was fine. They also formatted it for me. I then installed xp without any problems. A couple of days later the computer would not boot and it said OS not found. I tried to reinstall the OS and ran into the same problem about the HDD not being able to be formatted. Any suggestions.

Thanks,
newcomer21

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Hi newcomer21 and welcome to Geeks to Go.

I am sure that you are aware that you should not be needing to re-install the OS again after a few days.
The "OS not found" is a generic error that generally means the computer is trying to boot from the hard drive, but can't find the OS.
It usually means it at least found the hard drive, but can also mean the drive is bad.

Since you have an XP disk....I assume a full disk and not a recovery CD, we can run a couple checks on the drive.

How to run checkdisk from recovery console (Windows xp). (Courtesy dsenette)

• Insert the Windows XP startup disk into the floppy disk drive, or insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer.
  Note:Click to select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted to do so.
• When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.
  Note:If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the installation that you want to access from the Recovery Console.
• When you are prompted to do so, type the Administrator password. If the administrator password is blank, just press ENTER.
• At the Recovery Console command prompt, type the following then press Enter:
  

  chkdsk /r

• Allow this to run UNDISTURBED until completed (45 min or so)
• Report any errors

We will start with that 1st.

123runner

[123Runner]

Hi newcomer21 and welcome to Geeks to Go.

I am sure that you are aware that you should not be needing to re-install the OS again after a few days.
The "OS not found" is a generic error that generally means the computer is trying to boot from the hard drive, but can't find the OS.
It usually means it at least found the hard drive, but can also mean the drive is bad.

Since you have an XP disk....I assume a full disk and not a recovery CD, we can run a couple checks on the drive.

How to run checkdisk from recovery console (Windows xp). (Courtesy dsenette)

• Insert the Windows XP startup disk into the floppy disk drive, or insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer.
  Note:Click to select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted to do so.
• When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.
  Note:If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the installation that you want to access from the Recovery Console.
• When you are prompted to do so, type the Administrator password. If the administrator password is blank, just press ENTER.
• At the Recovery Console command prompt, type the following then press Enter:
  

  chkdsk /r

• Allow this to run UNDISTURBED until completed (45 min or so)
• Report any errors

We will start with that 1st.

123runner

[newcomer21]

says the specified drive is not valid, or there is no disk in the drive.
thanks,
Newcomer21

[123Runner]

says the specified drive is not valid, or there is no disk in the drive.

When did this error show up?
Did you try running the recovery console?
The recovery console runs from the CD.
Did you go in to bios and change the boot order?------>>>I forgot to tell you to do that

To change Boot Sequence in your BIOS
Reboot the system and at the first post screen (where it is counting up memory) start tapping the DEL or F1 or F2 or Esc or F10 button
This will enter you into the Bios\Cmos area.
Find the Advanced area and click Enter
Look for Boot Sequence or Boot Options and highlight that click Enter
Now highlight the first drive and follow the directions on the bottom of the screen on how to modify it and change it to CDrom.
Change the second drive to the C or Main Drive
Once that is done then click F10 to Save and Exit
You will prompted to enter Y to verify Save and Exit. Click Y and the system will now reboot with the new settings.

Hopefully you have already put the XP cd in the drive before all this. If everything is setup correctly you will get a black screen with the following message in the upper left corner:
"Push Any Key To Boot To Cd". When you see this then push any key and the cd will take over. Then follow the prompts or if you need assistance we will help.

[newcomer21]

I did change the boot sequence and it did start from the cd. I pressed R to run the recovery console and it went to the black screen and then said "the path or file specified is not valid and then gives a C:\> prompt. that is where I typed chkdsk /r and it gave the error.

[123Runner]

I need to change my instructions a little.

There is a space between the k and the /
Did you try that?

[newcomer21]

Yes, I did have a space between the k and /

While looking through the bios, under the internal hard drive it has the 32 bit I/O disabled. should it be.

Edited by newcomer21, 27 December 2009 - 09:37 AM.

[newcomer21]

I did some looking around and the HDD was not partition. I created one and then I ran the chkdsk /r and it said the volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems.

Thanks,
newcomer21

Edited by newcomer21, 28 December 2009 - 10:35 AM.

[newcomer21]

I am reinstalling windows again. It is letting me reinstall. I believe the computer was infected with a virus before the HDD crashed. Would that still be affecting the computer?

Thanks,
newcomer21

[123Runner]

I believe the computer was infected with a virus before the HDD crashed. Would that still be affecting the computer?

Do you mean a virus on the old drive or the new one that you are having issues with now?
A virus on the old drive would not affect the new drive.

If you got a virus on the new drive, then yes it could create a problem. That would mean that you either did not have a virus scanner running, or there was a virus that it did not find.

I am concerned about

I created one and then I ran the chkdsk /r and it said the volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems

That means that the drive has errors. A new drive should have no errors.

I also wonder about

I did some looking around and the HDD was not partition

You can't have a drive with out at least 1 partition.

When you get the new OS installed we need to take a look at a few things.
Do not connect to the internet till you get a virus scanner.

123runner

[newcomer21]

the computer is up and running. I haven't installed any updates nor connected to the computer. The virus was on the old hard drive.

[123Runner]

Are all the chipset and board drivers installed?
Have you installed a virus scanner and a malware scanner?

[rshaffer61]

The old HD is out of the system then?
Do you know what virus you had?
Did you backup and data from infected drive?

[newcomer21]

I have installed Avast. I don't know what virus it had and yes the old HDD is out of the system. I do have some of the data backed up from the old HDD on cd. I assume all drivers and chipsets are installed from the installation of windows.

I am in the process of installing all the updates and service packs from windows.

Thanks,
newcomer21

Edited by newcomer21, 28 December 2009 - 02:00 PM.

[123Runner]

I assume all drivers and chipsets are installed from the installation of windows.

Not necessarily.

Please Go to
1: STARTand the click on RUN
2: Type in devmgmt.msc
3: Click Enter
4. Look for any entries with Yellow Exclamation ! marks or Red X's

In your next reply please include those results