[IvoryPassages]

I have another computer that had a virus and I tried to reformat it using the recovery disks. There are 3 disks and about 56% of the way into the third, a box popped up that said "unknown error occured". So the operating system was never fully installed. It turns on, goes to the black screen that has all the specs (before Windows XP actually loads) and won't go any further. Don't know what to do now.

Thanks in advance.

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Howdy:

Make and model of the system you are trying to restore and are you using the recovery disks specific to that system??

Murray

[Murray S.]

Howdy:

Make and model of the system you are trying to restore and are you using the recovery disks specific to that system??

Murray

[samiko]

you can obtain a utility from your HDD vendor that would low format your machine.

[jpaterson]

What is low formatting anyways? Is that when it formats just zeros to your hard drive? Is its risky at all?

[samiko]

low level format will replace all data with zeros and delete anything stored on the HDD. I gathered you want to format the HDD and restoring is giving you errors. I think best was is to low format and start fresh.

[jpaterson]

So it basically makes it like it was when it left the factory? Would this help in a situation like this: I installed windows but it freezes on a certain part. So i reformat the hard drive and install windows again but it know exactly were to go and goes back to where it was in the installation where it froze before.

[samiko]

there is an important question I need to ask you before I can answer your questions.. do you have all the CD's needed to install windows? do you have the windows XP CD? some computer manufacturers store indows xp installation files on a hiden partition on HDD.

[jpaterson]

its a new computer i built and i just bought the retail version of windows xp home.

[samiko]

that's it then, get the utility from your HDD vendor and low format your HDD. This would get rid off anything on your HDD. I would recommend it.

[jpaterson]

yeah but i still have this problem...

[samiko]

ok I will have a look at that problem.

[samiko]

how many beeps do you get?

[jpaterson]

it beeps every 4 or 5 seconds for about a second long but doesnt stop beeping until i kill the power.

[samiko]

there are many types of beeps. is it one beep every 4 - 5 sec?

[jpaterson]

yes