Cant install Windows XP

[Xenarious]

A few days ago when I was watching a DVD on my computer it started lagging a bit and then a pink screen appeared and my computer hung. Then when I tried restarting it hung at the XP log in screen. I restarted once again and it said my "Windows/System" was corrupted amd that I needed to repair it.
I then got my Windows XP CD and tried booting from it but it didnt work. So I made some boot disks from the utility on the XP CD on another computer. I then rebooted and managed to get into the Windows XP installation process and had to insert each 6 floppy disks.
Once I got to the screen where it asks you if you want to repair or format etc it completely hung.

Just wondering what your diagnosis on the problem is that I am having. Could it be a hardware problem or a software?

Thanks

 

[Farmer]

Wow. That's pretty bad. Has anything happened in terms of hardware malfunctions? Hardware changes, like maybe an overclock?

 

[pikachu656]

I've seen something like that at work a couple of times. Each time I get it at work the fault 99% of the time goes to the hard drive failing in one way or another. Does your BIOS all you the capability to do a check on the hard drive? If so I would do that and if is bad replace drive. If your drive is a Western Digital or Segate or something else check their website and see if they have any diagnostic utility that you can run off a floppy/CD.

 

[Harvey]

You may want to get the diagnostic software from your hard drive manufacturer. If you can't reformat it, your drive may have tanked.

If you think some malicious software attacked your drive, you could try DELPART.EXE. It's a genuine Microsoft prog from NT that runs from a floppy and blasts any partition on your drive. It's as quick a way as any to get beyond it.

If you have Partion Magic, it'll delete the partions and reformat your drive faster than any Microsoft product.