Can't format Hard drive on XP

[ninjabib]

Hello all,

Hope you can help me. Apologies if in the wrong place, wasn't sure whether to put in Hard drives or Windows software.

I am using an Evesham computer at work and the boss wants it formatting. All the software i have been given is the system recovery disc which contains windows XP. When i try and install over the current OS with the disc it says i cannot because the current OS is on Service pack 3 and the cd is the original XP disc only.

I opened My Computer to try and format that way and it simply denies the ability to do this saying quit any disc utilites or any programs using the HD or close any window showing the drive and try again.

I have no window open and using no program but it just won't format.

I don't have a boot up floppy, is there anyway i can format this HD from boot please!

Any help much appreciated


EDIT - if i boot from the cd will it install a new windows over the current one and thus automatically format the current one or will it attempt to create a partitioned drive and put a new OS on the partition?

 

[Shadows1990]

When booting from XP media, it will ask you where you want to install the new copy of XP. This will allow you to sort out partitions, format, and anything else you want to do with the disks.