Hi, I have recently got given an old computer that someone didnt want. it is running on windows 98 SE. It booted up fine the first time, but the second time, it booted up untill the windows loading screen, did that 4 a few secs, and then i got this error message, somthing to do with missing operating files and dos programs. i could not get it to boot, so i went to re-install windows.i have most windows versions: 3.1, 95, 98, 98SE, ME, and XP. i tryed installing 98SE. i put the disk in and turned on the pc, then i choose 'boot from CD', and then 'Start Windows 98 setup from CD' i got a blue screen saying are you sure, then another one saying my hard drive needed to be formatted. I suspected something wasnt right, but continued as i couldent get it to start anyway.Once it had formatted (took about an hour and 15 mins), The computer told me The hard drive needed to be formatted (exactly as it had said before) , i tryed formatting it again, and the same thing happend. it has been formatted over 6 times and still says it has to be formatted. i tryed the my other windows98 installation disk, with the same result, windows xp or ME wont load, and i cant find my windows 3.1 disks. my windows 95 is scratched to peices so that wont work. i think i need to run a low level formatt of the hard disk and flood it with 0's. The hard drive is Maxtor, and the model number is: 52049H4. It is about 20.5 GB. Maxtor has been taken over by Seagate, and i cannot download a low level formatter for my hard drive, as it is quite old. does anyone know what i can do, or where i can get a low level formatter that will work?Much apreciated

Why don't you try to format the hard drive through floppy disk drive?

buy a new hard drive. you can get a 80g for about $45

What do you mean?

I have another computer, the one i am using now, but that dosnt have a floppy drive. The one i am tryin to fix dosnthave an operatng system at all. Maby if i could find or make a windows 98 live CD, i could format it from there, would anyone know how?