When you ran chkdsk did you add s space then /f after to fix any errors it found? The 'Recovery console' - is that a partition or do you have that on a disk? You could download a Win98 startup from here, copy it to a floppy and run the formatting program it contains. It will format in FAT32 but at least it would clear off the corruption and allow you to re-install XP after another format from the XP CD with NTFS if you want. I would not be putting money into a PII computer unless you can find an older used hard drive for a few dollars. Your choice of course.

There are partition size limits, and your new drive exceeds these limits for some formats. Did you first format the drive? Your earlier drives may have be pre-formatted. If the new 160 GB drive has been formatted as one partition, it is either formmated as a NTFS drive or used special extentions for a FAT32 drive. You will loose this special formatting if you format the drive again as a FAT32 system. Refer to instructions that came with the drive. If the drive has not been formatted, then you can not write to it until it is formatted. NTFS or FAT32 ? NTFS provides greater partitions and more reliable disk operation. NTFS uses log files to keep track of all disk activity. Win XP can use this journal to repair files after a system crash. Windows 95, 98, ME can not recognize NTFS volumes. You need a FAT32 volume as the boot volume for these operating systems. This restriction does not apply to files on a network. The boot record must be on a FAT32 partition for these earlier Windows sytems. On partitions greater than 8 GB, NTFS manages the space more efficiently than FAT32. The maximum partition size for a FAT32 drive created by Widows XP is 32 GB; A single NTFS volume can be up to 16 terabytes (16,384 GB) using default settings. The Fdisk utility in Windows 98/ME can make a partition greater than 32 GB on a FAT32 disk. Use a bootup disk from one of these two systems to do this. After formatting the extra large partition, Win XP can use it. The main reason for using FAT32 is compatiblity to the older system and/or software. If you are constructing a multi-boot system and one of these sytems is the older Windows system, the FAT32 system is needed for the older version of Windows. If you have only Windows XP or Vista, I recommend NTFS. Its a good idea to scan a new disk for bad sectors before using. Presumably, the manufacturer has already scanned and marked off the bad sectors, but I did have one 80 GB external disk where this had not been done. It gave me trouble until a complete scan was performed. A few bad sectors were found and marked off. After that, the disk performed flawlessly. So first, format the disk and then scan for bad sectors. This will take some time for a 160 GB disk, but it well worth the effort. If the disk is already formatted and is what you want, scan it before using. With a disk of 160 MB, I suggest that you break this into 2 partitions of approximately 80 GB each. The partitions will not be quite as large as 80 GB because part of the space is used for file management and directories. Put the operating system on the first partition and use the second for data. The next question: Do you at any time have two hard drives connected to the computer? If so, the hard drive with the operating system must have its jumper set to "master" and the other disk to "slave" (assuming that both drives are connected to the same cable). While setting up a new drive using the existing computer, you may find it necessary to switch the jumpers a few times depending on the job at hand. Hopefully, your computer's BIOS is capable of auto-recognizing the hard drives and can make settings accordingly, else this has to be done manually. Please let us know if any of this information was useful.

"F2 for setup and F12 for boot options." Are you saying you get this far and the computer REBOOTS by itself, if that is the case you start to consider a power issue here. How many files did the user want to save? Where are the 2 recovery disks that should have came with the pc, or does it have a recovery partition that you would have an option for after hitting F12 if you get that far. If you slave the drive run your options scan disk, check disk ect, the go to the manfactures site of the hard drive an run there tests on the drive. I wonder if you can get recovery disks from Dell for the 2400 series?

Lars, I live in NYC so black is a required basic, though that jacket is navy blue. I get that it looks kind of astronaut like, but on it slims and is reminiscent of a motorcycle jacket. I was planning on taking some sewing lessons, but what I really want to do is learn how to alter my own clothes. I have a petite upper body and a larger bottom half. Dresses are always an issue and tops are frustrating. I love everyone's purchases and hope they bring you joy. I also bought a new sit-stand work table that is motorized and a light pad for my stained glass work. I will not be buying the boots as they will probably be too wide. I love different colored footwear. I currently have bright blue oxfords, red flats and pumps, and fuchsia loafers along with the usual assortment of blacks, browns and navy. I was losing weight then the pandemic hit and I have gained all I lost back. Not that I lost a lot. I will buy a few more things but I truly don't need anything. Next I will lose weight. IdaClaire is a role model. I am tired of feeling less than great. I have had some health challenges including pulmonary issues which will never get better, but with my hiking daily I am gaining better function and feeling better.