Windows 2000 setup unable to format partition

C

Colleen Gayle Lane

I hope I picked the right group for this. I think it's a hardware problem.

I had a new hard drive installed and upon reboot I get a "Missing operation
system" error. I don't want to put a ghost image back on because this pc
has always been a problem. I want to start from scratch and install Windows
2000 again.. However, I only get so far when I get:

"Setup was unable to format a partition. Disk may be damaged."

Any idea what the problem might be?

Thanks.
 
D

Dave Patrick

Be sure to check the drive jumpers and terminations. To do a clean install,
either boot the Windows 2000 install CD-Rom or setup disks. The set of four
install disks can be created from your Windows 2000 CD-Rom; change to the
\bootdisk directory on the CD-Rom and execute makeboot.exe (from dos) or
makebt32.exe (from 32 bit) and follow the prompts.

When you get to the point, delete the existing NTFS and or other partitions
found. After you delete the partition(s) abort the install, then again
restart the pc booting the CD-Rom or setup disks to avoid unexpected drive
letter assignments with your new install.

Be sure to apply these to your new install before connecting to any network.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/6/A/E6A04295-D2A8-40D0-A0C5-241BFECD095E/W2KSP4_EN.EXE
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-043.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-049.mspx

You didn't mention the drive controller (possibly SCSI, or ultra DMA, or
ATA100, or raid, or serial ATA), but you may need to boot the Windows 2000
setup disks or CD-Rom and *F6* very early and very important (at setup is
inspecting your system) in the setup to prevent drive controller detection,
and select S to specify additional drivers. Then later you'll be prompted to
insert the manufacturer supplied Windows 2000 driver for your drive's
controller in drive "A"

If you wait and then S to specify additional drivers, then it may be too
late as Windows 2000 Setup at this point may have already assigned the
resources your drive's controller is wanting to use.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| I hope I picked the right group for this. I think it's a hardware
problem.
|
| I had a new hard drive installed and upon reboot I get a "Missing
operation
| system" error. I don't want to put a ghost image back on because this pc
| has always been a problem. I want to start from scratch and install
Windows
| 2000 again.. However, I only get so far when I get:
|
| "Setup was unable to format a partition. Disk may be damaged."
|
| Any idea what the problem might be?
|
| Thanks.
|
| --
| Colleen Gayle Lane
| Milton Public Library
|
|
 
D

DL

Other than what DP said,
Your post is not entirely clear
'I had a new hd installed' does this mean an extra hd? or does it mean this
replaced the existing hd?
If extra (ie slave) your err msg may indicate that the origonal hd is
defective
PS Its allways possible a new hd is DOA
 
C

Colleen Gayle Lane

Sorry, the hard drive was replaced.

DL said:
Other than what DP said,
Your post is not entirely clear
'I had a new hd installed' does this mean an extra hd? or does it mean
this
replaced the existing hd?
If extra (ie slave) your err msg may indicate that the origonal hd is
defective
PS Its allways possible a new hd is DOA
 

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