Formatting Laptop with New Windows XP

aj9648

Hi

A few weeks ago I asked about formatting my old HP laptop and I was provided an ISO from someone (Donnie) which I used to completely clean my laptop...great!!!

I also want to do the same thing with my Toshiba laptop - is there something similar out there that I can use? I have a COA on the back of the laptop but no CD.

I think I have a virus maybe....everytime I try to install a piece of software like VLC it just seems to lock up and cannot do anything in terms of using the computer. I have tried installing several pieces of software both rar files and exe files but I just seem to be encountering the same problems !!!

So hopefully a fresh install can help?

aj9648

Update.......

I found the recovery CD and tried the install by pressing C at the start up (which is what the piece of paper in the CD box told me to do). The installation was going well until around 50% it just died - flashed up with some error message and just restarted.

I thought I could just start the install again but will not recognise from the CD drive even though I have changed the BIOS setting to read first from CD.

All I get now is a black screen, and I cant do anything or access anything

Any tips?

Basil1234

sounds to me like harddrive might have died if as a posiabailty if you are trying putting in a bootable disc and is not seeing the hardware circuit is not complete. when you enter the bios what does the bios see in respect of drives? cd hardive etc. as long as you are sure disc is a bootable disc and not just a normal cd

aj9648

Yeah it see CD drive, hard drive, lan etc...dont think hard drive is a problem (hopefully not)

Basil1234

well the other option if hardware is ok could it be that the disk is not bootable? i would try it in another pc on cold start up and see if it boots next.