I just purchased a new computer - Intel dual processor on Intel motherboard
with 3 Gb RAM, 2 x SATA HDD's (250 Gb & 500 Gb) - with Vista installed.

I attempted to install XP on the second drive to dual boot but I received
the following error message when I attempted to do a quick format - "Set up
was unable to format the partition. Disk may be damaged." The install then
aborts.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Hi there,

Ive had this very same problem before when i was doing a quick format
(although this was on an old laptop). Have you tried doing a complete
format instead of a quick one?

Scott

Taxee wrote:
> I just purchased a new computer - Intel dual processor on Intel motherboard
> with 3 Gb RAM, 2 x SATA HDD's (250 Gb & 500 Gb) - with Vista installed.
>
> I attempted to install XP on the second drive to dual boot but I received
> the following error message when I attempted to do a quick format - "Set up
> was unable to format the partition. Disk may be damaged." The install then
> aborts.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks

"Taxee" wrote:
>I just purchased a new computer - [.....] - with Vista installed.
>
> I attempted to install XP on the second drive to dual boot but I received
> the following error message when I attempted to do a quick format - "Set up
> was unable to format the partition. Disk may be damaged." The install then
> aborts.


You can't install an earlier Windows OS after a later Windows OS
without difficulty. Vista is particularly bad about this. Try a Google
and Groups.Google search for ways to get around this:
"install xp after vista dual boot". There are tons of discussions about
this problem.

*TimDaniels*

Why not try the Vista Newsgroups -

Welcome to Microsoft Windows Vista Newsgroups
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/com...s/default.mspx

--
====================================
TaurArian [MS-MVP] 2005-2008 - Australia
====================================
How to make a good post: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
Defending your machine: http://defendingyourmachine2.blogspot.com/
http://taurarian.mvps.org/index.htm

Emails will not be acknowledged - please post to the newsgroup so all may benefit.


"Taxee" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:58C7FFCD-12BD-4599-A90A-(E-Mail Removed)...
|I just purchased a new computer - Intel dual processor on Intel motherboard
| with 3 Gb RAM, 2 x SATA HDD's (250 Gb & 500 Gb) - with Vista installed.
|
| I attempted to install XP on the second drive to dual boot but I received
| the following error message when I attempted to do a quick format - "Set up
| was unable to format the partition. Disk may be damaged." The install then
| aborts.
|
| Any suggestions?
|
| Thanks

I tried to do both the quick format and a complete format and received the
same error response both times.

"Scott Robinson" wrote:

> Hi there,
>
> Ive had this very same problem before when i was doing a quick format
> (although this was on an old laptop). Have you tried doing a complete
> format instead of a quick one?
>
> Scott
>
> Taxee wrote:
> > I just purchased a new computer - Intel dual processor on Intel motherboard
> > with 3 Gb RAM, 2 x SATA HDD's (250 Gb & 500 Gb) - with Vista installed.
> >
> > I attempted to install XP on the second drive to dual boot but I received
> > the following error message when I attempted to do a quick format - "Set up
> > was unable to format the partition. Disk may be damaged." The install then
> > aborts.
> >
> > Any suggestions?
> >
> > Thanks
>

I posted there as well and have not received any response.

"TaurArian [MS-MVP]" wrote:

> Why not try the Vista Newsgroups -
>
> Welcome to Microsoft Windows Vista Newsgroups
> http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/com...s/default.mspx
>

I spent a fair amount of time searching Google and Live. There does not
appear to be anyone with this particular problem that I could find.

While I appreciate that it appears to be more difficult to dual boot
starting with Vista, it does appear possible to do. I may uninstall Vista
and then start with an XP installation if I can't do an install of XP with
Vista pre-installed.

"Timothy Daniels" wrote:


> You can't install an earlier Windows OS after a later Windows OS
> without difficulty. Vista is particularly bad about this. Try a Google
> and Groups.Google search for ways to get around this:
> "install xp after vista dual boot". There are tons of discussions about
> this problem.
>
> *TimDaniels*
>

If you are sure that you have 2 harddrives and not 2 partitions on one
HD...and maybe that 2nd partition is a recovery partition on which you
should NOT place anything else
then you could try this....
disconnect the HD that Vista is installed on.........restart computer with
XP CD in place...........Now XP should only see one HD and install...format
the HD during the install use F6 to add drivers for SATA if you have SATA
drives.
This does not create a "dual boot"..........you will need to pick which HD
to boot from in the BIOS when you start your system.
But this type of setup is a lot easier to "destroy" when you decide to go
back to only one OS.
peter
"Taxee" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:3713A845-1B49-43B5-94E3-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I posted there as well and have not received any response.
>
> "TaurArian [MS-MVP]" wrote:
>
>> Why not try the Vista Newsgroups -
>>
>> Welcome to Microsoft Windows Vista Newsgroups
>> http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/com...s/default.mspx
>>
>

This is the 2nd hit in a long list of hits from Google.com:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919529

There have also been oodles of postings in this NG
and microsoft.public.windowsxp.general about the
problem, and undoubtedly oodles more in
microsoft.public.windows.vista.general and in
microsoft.public.windows.vista.setup_deployment.

*TimDaniels*

"Taxee" wrote:
>I spent a fair amount of time searching Google and Live. There does not
> appear to be anyone with this particular problem that I could find.
>
> While I appreciate that it appears to be more difficult to dual boot
> starting with Vista, it does appear possible to do. I may uninstall Vista
> and then start with an XP installation if I can't do an install of XP with
> Vista pre-installed.
>
> "Timothy Daniels" wrote:
>
>
>> You can't install an earlier Windows OS after a later Windows OS
>> without difficulty. Vista is particularly bad about this. Try a Google
>> and Groups.Google search for ways to get around this:
>> "install xp after vista dual boot". There are tons of discussions about
>> this problem.
>>
>> *TimDaniels*
>>