Hi everyone,

About 3 days ago, I re-formatted my hard drive, removing everything, because I kept getting all sorts of spyware pop-ups and Virus Infection notices. During the Install of the new OS, I realized that the CD was a Re-Install CD and not the full version. So after reformatting the drive, C:, to NFTS, it just keeps rebooting and asking the same questions over, and over again, but it is not continuing with the setup process, Windows XP Pro. So today, I went out and bought an OEM Version of Windows XP Home Edition, thinking that I could get a good re-install from a full version, boy was I wrong! It doesn't recognise any drives! Now only the BLUE screen comes up and it shuts everything down! Can someone please help me, my wife not to happy about using my Laptop to talk and chat with her friends, and quite frankly I need my laptop back.

Thanks!

Did you format the drive before using the OEM Home Edition CD?

A clean install seems to be the solution here. Just make sure you are formatting the drive you wish to install Windows on.

Use the cd that came with your laptop

Make sure that your laptop doesn't boot off cd: go into bios (usually F2 or F12 or Del at post [the writing that comes up when you first turn you computer on]) go to a page called Boot and make sure "hard disk" or "HDD-0" is at the top of the list

Or you can start the recovery cd normally, and when the computer reboots eject the cd and if you get asked for it again put it back in and press OK.