Why is My Old Laptop Failing to Reformat with Windows XP?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on issues encountered while attempting to reformat a laptop using a Windows XP CD. The user experiences repeated failures during the formatting process, citing missing DATA files and a non-responsive CD drive. Despite multiple attempts and prior successful reformats, the setup stalls indefinitely. The consensus suggests the possibility of a malfunctioning CD drive as a primary cause of the problem.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Windows XP installation processes
  • Familiarity with CD/DVD drive functionality
  • Basic troubleshooting skills for hardware issues
  • Knowledge of partition management
NEXT STEPS
  • Test the CD drive with a different installation CD
  • Research methods for creating a bootable USB drive for Windows XP installation
  • Learn about partition recovery tools for Windows XP
  • Investigate potential hardware diagnostics for CD drives
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for IT technicians, computer repair specialists, and anyone troubleshooting installation issues with older operating systems like Windows XP.

JasonRox
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Ok, I tried reformatting my laptop with my Windows XP CD. Here's what happened...

I boot from the CD, and everything works fine. Delete partition and start formatting. It goes half way through and then tells me I'm missing some DATA file, then I retry and retry, but never works. Also, the CD doesn't spin while I click retry, so I click ignore and then another DATA file is missing and this continues on for many many files and then eventually setup fails.

I try again after a few months (I left and just bought a new one while I was away) and now it won't even start the setup. The CD drive just sits still and stops at the beginning of the setup. It doesn't even say DATA files are missing or anything. It just sits there at 0% forever.

I reformatted my laptop atleast 6-7 times previously so I do know how to do it, but for some reason it's not working now.

Is the CD drive messed up?

I tried cleaning the CD itself and the CD is fine. No visible stratches or anything of the like.

Any other possibilities?

Any help is appreciated.
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
Jason are you still having problems? Perhaps you do have a bad CD drive.
 

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