Never-ending hard drive formatting

Is it normal that when I try to install windows xp on my pc, and format the hard drive, the progress bar freezes on 8% and doesn't move for more than an hour?
I never tried to wait any longer, because I didn't have time, but if its normal then I guess I'll just have to wait for a very long time... (the hdd is 320gb if this matters)

No its not nomal. If it freezes at any point then most likely the drive has errors on it. What brand of drive is it? Use the guide here to run a diagnostic on it once you know what brand it is.

http://www.computerforum.com/211596-list-hard-drive-diagnostic-utilities-test-your-drive.html

Did you try DBAN or Kill Disk and see if it freezes on it too?

How am I supposed to do anything with the hard drive if I can't even install an operating system? All I can do is access BIOS and play around in the windows XP installation menu (when it asks you to choose the partition you want the OS to be installed on).

S.T.A.R.S. said:

Did you try DBAN or Kill Disk and see if it freezes on it too?

Click to expand...

In order to DBAN I have to download some special program and put it on a cd/dvd right? Is it safe? Am I going to be able to install windows XP after DBANing?

Download the drive makers disk diagnostic program and scan the drive for errors first. Dban and killdisk only totally wipe the drive clean so you can start fresh.

SpringWater said:

Am I going to be able to install windows XP after DBANing?

Click to expand...

Of course lol.

If the drive is bad, you won't be able to install windows to it.

When I run linux from a flash drive, in the computer menu it shows a 320gb hard drive...so it detects it... I don't know if this helps in any way... and the hard drive had windows vista on it but it wasn't activated and when I turned the pc on it was just opening vista and telling me the activating code (I didn't install vista on it, person who owned the hdd before me did)... so I don't think it broke.. everything got messed up when I put in the XP cd and deleted partitions, created a new one and started formatting it to install windows. With this info can you draw any more conclusions? oh and, how do I DBAN the hard drive if I'll cause if I have to I will do it...?

The HDD could still be bad. As John said, find out the manufacturer of the HDD and download their diagnostic utility.

I know that the manufacturer is western digital, but how do I use the diagnostics tool?

Download the ISO for WD Lifegiard Tools and burn it to a CD.

http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=606&sid=30&lang=en

I ran into this with an install of Windows XP. The problem was that the install would stall at 28% to no avail.

I read on a forum that it could possibly be a dirty disc causing the install stall.

Sure enough, I cleaned the disc with dawn dish soap and rubbed it clean with my fingers, let it dry, and the install completed without a hitch.

Give it a try.

Usually that is not the case.The FORMAT utility is read from the CD at the beginning (at 0%) and then loaded in RAM memory and then read from it all until it reaches 100% where THEN other data is being read from the CD in order to do the rest such as scanning the disk and then copying OS data on the HDD and so on...

So if the FORMAT utility was successfuly read from the CD at 0% and then loaded into RAM from which (and ONLY from it) was read all until 100% then it is not the CD disk issue since it is not reading the CD at ALL until the format procedure reaches 100% from where it reads the CD AGAIN in order to load other stuff and do the neccessary work.

So I would rather say it is the bad HDD issue.

But of course it could be what you say that the CD is dirty,but unforcenately the chances for that are like 1%

It could also be that the numbers on HDD sectors are messed up (especially in BOOT SECTOR area) and in order to solve that all zeros needs to be written on every single sector at least once using DBAN or KILL DISK.

Or maybe it's something completely else.The best way to find out is to try each solution one by one until the problem has been completely solved.




Cheers everyone!
(By the way I FINALLY fixed my camcorder ^.^ )

I would just delete the partition (don't format it) and install windows.