Problem reformatting HDD

[Bazzil]

When I tried to start my computer, I got a thing saying Error Loading OS when it's on the Verifying DMA Pool Data screen, so I'm trying to reformat it. It runs through the inital stuff fine, but after it restarts it just goes straight back into that plain first menu where you can choose to install windows or repair it. I can't seem to get into the later part where you enter all the details and whatnot.

Any help?

I've read elsewhere that after the restart you shouldn't click any keys to boot from CD, but it doesn't give me that option. It just boots from the CD automatically. After the restart I tried changing to the boot sequence to make the HDD number 1, but that just gives me the Error Loading OS message again.

 

[aviation_man]

Uh. Are you sure you're not upgrading it instead of reformatting it? Make sure you wipe your hard drive clean from anything. It sounds like it might be a bad install CD. When you see the the "Install windows or repair Windows" message, you have tried to repair Windows, correct?

 

[Bazzil]

Uh. Are you sure you're not upgrading it instead of reformatting it? Make sure you wipe your hard drive clean from anything. It sounds like it might be a bad install CD. When you see the the "Install windows or repair Windows" message, you have tried to repair Windows, correct?

Tried repair,but it didnt work.

I've clciked the option to format the drive numerous times so it's defenitly formatting it, not upgrading.

I've used this same CD to do it a few times before. I had this same problem last time but I can't remember how I got around it.

I've got a SATA drive connected to the computer as well (main drive I'm trying to reformat is IDE). Could that cause a problem?

 

[Bodaggit23]

Make sure you're choosing the correct drive when you're doing the install.

If you accidentally choose the secondary, or Slave drive, your computer will try to boot from the Master by default.

Does your BIOS list both hard drives?

 

[andy faith]

When you're formatting it, do you delete all current partitions on the drive and then create a new partition and format it into ntfs?

 

[Bazzil]

Well, I unpluged the SATA drive and it worked fine.

Thanks for the help.