I just installed a new harddrive on my laptop and I'm trying to install windows xp on it and it won't let me install on the partition.. so i'm trying to delete it, but I can't seem to delete the partition.. I've tried to delete it when booting with windows xp cd..which don't work..
Is there other way I can delete the partition?

How did you create the partition?

I have no idea.. it was just there? sorry i'm a noob ><

No problem. We just need to know what is going on. A brand new hard drive is not partitioned. Installing XP will partition it.

What exactly happens when you try to install XP?

Is this a retail XP CD that you are using?

When you say: "it won't let me install on the partition" what exactly is happening?

Please describe the process you are doing and the exact reactions.

If you are using a recovery CD from the laptop manufacturer then this most likely will not work.

Also: what is the exact make and model of the laptop?

when I'm trying to install xp.. it asks me where I want to install it to..
the option is

-: partition1 [unknown]

and when i try to install it on that a error screen comes up saying:

An error occurred while setup was updating partition information on:
38147 MB Disk 0 at Id 0 on bus 0 on atapi [MBR].
setup cannot continue.

and when i try to delete it and create a new one.. it won't let me delete.. another error message comes up saying I can't delete it

I've tried using a genuine xp cd and a copied one.. both does the samething.. I think its the harddrive problem not the cd

I'm using a Sony PCG-TR1a

Is this a brand new hard drive?

Who is the manufacturer of the hard drive?

Just to verify you have replaced your internal hard drive?

Sony's support site is down at the moment but they do have specific instructions for changing hard drives:

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/mod...pl?mdl=PCGTR1A

its refurbised.. I couldn't afford a new one.. its way too expensive..

its a toshiba mk4004gah

its the same as my old one.. but my old one was 30gbs

and I replace the internal one.. because the old one was damaged.. so i had to get a new one to replace it

Does the laptop have a floppy drive?

Or do you have a desktop PC and cable adapter that you can test and or format this drive on?

no it does not =(

I was looking online to see if there were any programs that can just delete the stuff on my harddrive and i found this program called wipedrive pro..

do you think I would be able to use that to delete everything in my harddrive? and just make a fresh start?

I think running a diagnostic on that hard drive and then formatting/wiping it is what you need to do.

You do not need any programs to do this. What you need is either a desktop PC that you can slave this drive in via a laptop hard drive adapter or software that will run off of a bootable CD.

This approach would be to load the tools as ISO's on a CD and then boot the CD drive if we can find the appropriate downloads for this.

But you are correct that wiping that drive is what you want to do.