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

[JasonRox]

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.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Jason are you still having problems? Perhaps you do have a bad CD drive.

 

[quicknote]

Based on the information provided, it is possible that there could be a problem with the CD drive or the Windows XP CD itself. The fact that the CD drive is not spinning while clicking retry could indicate a malfunction in the drive. It is also possible that the CD itself is damaged or corrupted, even if there are no visible scratches.

Another possibility could be that there are other underlying issues with the laptop that are preventing the reformatting process from completing successfully. It may be worth checking for any hardware or software conflicts, as well as running diagnostic tests on the laptop to identify any potential problems.

If the issue persists, it may be necessary to seek the assistance of a professional technician who can further troubleshoot and diagnose the problem.