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I recently got an error on my computer and it said I had a corrupt windows 32 file. So, I'm reformatting by booting from the Windows XP cd, and in the process of formatting, it gets stuck on 3% for like 30 minutes. So I rebooted and tried again, and I got the same problem. Do I have a bad hard drive?
Repair or recover a system
You can repair or recover your system in several different ways. Instructions for each method are below. Try the methods in this order:
Revert to the "Last Known Good" configuration.
Start the computer in Safe Mode and try to fix the problem.
Use the Windows XP Recovery Console.
Use System Restore.
Use Automated System Recovery (works for Windows XP Professional only, not Windows XP Home Edition).
To use the Last Known Good configuration:
If Windows XP will not start, you can restore your system to the Last Known Good configuration – in other words, your most recent settings that worked. Here's how:
Start the computer and then press the F8 key when Windows begins to start. The Windows Advanced Options menu appears.
Use the arrow keys to select Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked), and then press ENTER.
If a boot menu appears, use the arrow keys to select Microsoft Windows XP, and then press ENTER. Windows XP restores the computer to the most recent restore point.
To use the Windows XP Recovery Console:
The Windows XP Recovery Console allows you to:
Use, copy, rename, or replace operating system files and folders.
Enable or disable service or device startup when you next start your computer.
Repair the file system boot sector or the Master Boot Record (MBR).
Create and format partitions on drives.
Here's how to use the Recovery Console:
Insert the Windows XP CD into your CD-ROM drive, and then restart your computer.
On the menu that appears, click Install Windows XP.
Press R to repair the selected Windows installation.
When you use the Recovery Console, you will be prompted to enter the Administrator account password. If you enter an incorrect password three times, the Recovery Console will close. If the database that contains user account information for your computer is missing or damaged, you will not be able to use the Recovery Console.
After you enter your password and the Recovery Console starts, type exit to restart the computer. The Recovery Console has some other limitations. For details, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 314058: Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console.
If you can get into windows by using safe mode or anything, just run an error check on your hard drive... my computer-right click C drive ( or whatever letter it is) then go to tools and error checking.
Thanks for your reply. Yeah, it wouldn't let me get to any part of windows. After the BIOS screen a black screen came up and said I had a corrupt file. So I just decided to format the hard drive not, repair, because I don't want any future problems, I would rather start the PC on a new clean slate. But during the formatting process it keeps getting stuick on 3% after rebooting a few times and re-attempting the procedure of Formatting the drive. So my question is, is my hard drive bad? Since it doesn't get formatted, it keeps getting stuck on 3% of the formatting process. Thanks in advance.
Have you tried just re-installing without the format first?
By any chance is the windows Cd you are using is a copy of a XP cd.?
If so then i'd say that the cd is flecked..
if not then have you tried using a boot disk, then manually formatting the hard drive using
then resetting the computer then try to install the XP software..Code:format c:
front2back
Your drive is bad.. replace it..Quote:
Originally posted here by kyrios
So, I'm reformatting by booting from the Windows XP cd, and in the process of formatting, it gets stuck on 3% for like 30 minutes. So I rebooted and tried again, and I got the same problem. Do I have a bad hard drive?
Yep. Seen this quite a few times and it has always been down to a bad drive.Quote:
Your drive is bad.. replace it..
Like SirDice says, you're gonna have to replace it.
Ok thanks guys. I put in an extra hard drive I had, just temporarily and it reformatted fine. I guess it was a bad hard drive. But i'll see if I can see still formatted on another computer, I don't want to see an 80 gig hdd go to waste.
it's probably the hard drive, BUT there's another possibility -
Your RAM.
Windows crapping out in the way it did points to HDD period. Hanging on format could point to either - I've seen it happen on one of my old boxes, replaced the hdd only to find it still having issues, then did ram and sure enough the fix was in.