I can not get my computer to reformat correctly?

Note you can only reformat your hard drive when you boot from the Windows install disk. To reformat and reinstall windows follow the detailed instructions on the web pages below.

Reformat and install. (Cleans drive loses all data)

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313348

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/win...

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Formatting does not overwrite the disk data. It may be possible to recover information off a formatted hard drive. If you want to erase all the data off your hard drive so it can not be recovered use one of the following:

http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6142_102-0.html?forumI...

"You can find out the manufacturer of your HD and then attempt to download the formatting tool created by that manufacturer for their HD's. Most HD Mnufactuer have a Zero Fill Low level formatting tool available to erase their HD products. This will clean any existing OS files from your system as well as any viruses other files etc.."

Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN) Free

http://www.download.com/Darik-s-Boot-and-Nuke/3000...

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group...

DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect, which makes it an appropriate utility for bulk or emergency data destruction.

WipeDrive by White Canyon $39.95

http://www.whitecanyon.com/

Active@ Kill Disk - Hard Drive Eraser (Free version/ $29.95 enhanced version)

http://www.killdisk.com/

Active@ KillDisk - Hard Drive Eraser is powerful and compact DOS software that allows you to destroy all data on hard and floppy drives completely, excluding any possibility of future recovery of deleted files and folders. It's a hard drive and partition eraser utility.

if xp use the system recovery tool...