Hi I'm currently in the process of formatting a friend’s computer. I've come across a problem that’s pretty much stops me dead in what I want to do.

All I want to do is load Windows XP onto this laptop (as it was originally in). I boot the laptop into the WinXP cd, go through to formatting the hardrive. I notice that the partition size shows a size that cannot be right for the hardrive. There is a 40gig hardrive in there but the partition size is on something starting with 8!? I try to delete the partition and create a new one for a smaller size (within the range I’d expect for the particular hardrive) but after creating it, it defaults back to the same figure beginning with 8.

The same happens with any other size hardrive I try. I then go to format it. If I use the quick format, it goes to 20% - 100% - then states that the hardrive is damaged. If I use the full format, it takes a good 14hours and stays on 100%! To check if the drive is damaged I put the drive into my own laptop and performed the same procedures and the format worked without any problems. Is this common with any internal probs with the laptop itself that you know of? ANY suggestions or advice is welcomed.