[wotsits]

Isn't the computer supposed to restart automatically after it gets to 100%?

It's taken 40 minutes to format the 500gb disk and it has been stuck at 100% for half an hour. This has now happened 3 times. The install disk is really old (Service Pack 1) but an integrity check reports no errors. The HDD is fine and so is the memory.

Can I turn it off an on? Last time I did that, it didn't carry on with the next step, it just went back to the partition screen.

System info:

AMD PhenomII 550 black edition
SATA HDD from Western Digital (500gb) with IDE mode enabled in the BIOS
2GB OCZ DDR3 memory
Gigabyte ga-ma785gmt-ud2h Mobo with Integrated HD4200
Lite-On CD/DVD Drive

Screen output as seen:

C: Partition1 [New (Raw)] 476930MB (476929MB free) on
476938 MB Disk0 at Id0 on bus0 on atapi [MBR]
Setup is formatting...
100%

Should I try a smaller partition?

[shwoot]

i re installed xp and it gave 2 options..1.format the partition using the ntfs file system (quick) and 2.format the partition using the ntfs file system. i chose option 2 and the format took 30 minutes then windows started installing and took another 40 minutes. hope this helps.

[wotsits]

Thanks for the reply, that didn't really help because the issue isn't installing Windows, I know how to do that and roughly how long it takes. The issue is that the bar, when formatting the HDD, is stuck at 100%. I haven't and can't get to the stage when Windows starts copying its files.

[shwoot]

sorry for the mix up, try this link
http://www.fixya.com/support/t1679329-format_hdd

[wotsits]

Thanks for the link, from the sounds of it Windows is trying to create a partition size which is too big, i'll lower the size and report back.

[wotsits]

nope, it still hangs, i think i might leave it overnight...

ive heard that if you have an original xp disk (original means the very 1st disks without service pack 1, which mine might be) then it cant read past 137gb

could that be it? I was thinking of using something like GParted to format the hdd using a cd, then installing windows on the empty newly formatted ntfs partition...

my question: Will windows try and reformat the hdd or will it just start installing?

[wotsits]

OK i think ive sorted it, xp formatting didnt like the hdd so i used a live cd of GParted and with some tweaking of the drivers, Windows recognised it and is installing.