I got to the point that blue screen says:

Setup needs to copy windows XP files onto your hard disk. Select the folder in which the files should be copied.

\WINDOWS(command prompt)

To change the suggested location, press backspace key to delete characters and then type the name of the folder you want to install Windows XP

I’ve never gotten this message before and I’ve been trying to install this stupid thing for the past 3 days.

I think I’m close to opening the "genie"

Can any one help with this one?

My problem is stated below?

Whenever I am trying to format the hard disk of my toshiba laptop it is giving me the following message. Make sure any hard drives are powered on and properly connected to your computer and that any disk related hardware configuration is correct. This may involve running a manufacturer-supplied diagnostic or setup program.
Setup can’t continue. What would be the problem? May be the disk is sata if so then from where should I download the other softwares for it with the xpsp2 cd.

but STILL get malware that they can’t find and clear, or/and which ruin my registry after removing stuff: Prevx 3, the one from Malwarebytes, Ad-Aware, STOPzilla!, AVG, SpySweeper, SuperAntiSpyware, and Norton Antivirus. So what antimalwares are there that are better than these?

Will you come back and see if I have any follow-ups for your answers, please?

Thanks, if so,
Mike
I keep getting browser hijacking, 1A, 1B, 1C.tmp, etc., and random sound ads, and my programs cannot kill these! But besides that, why can I get them so SOON right after a clean reinstall of Windows (you know, that wipes the old windows folder with a new one, and quits using the old settings folders in Documents and Settings, which I then erase. So if I can’t yet format my hard disk (because not all my data is archived yet), then this should work as a clean enough reinstallation, should it not?

So there are those 2 things: How do I keep those things from reattacking me right after the new, clean install, and which program is best at it?
Oh, and XoftSpy is one I’ve tried already, too.

And yes, I do run the Windows Firewall as the immediate defense right after reinstall, but see, it doesn’t work that well.
JS-Computing.com, apparently you didn’t read my question very well, because I just barely said that I already tried SUPERAntiSpyware.
Yes, MB, I AM doing a clean install–but not a reformat (I don’t have the space to move my files temporarily, and I haven’t archived the stuff yet). Those are 2 different things. "Clean reinstall" doesn’t mean you have to reformat. That just means you’ve chosen to have a new copy wipe over the old folder, rather than doing what some people call an "upgrade install" (even if it’s not an upgrade) or an "in-place install" or a "repair reinstall" (which repairs hardly anything).

So no, I did not reformat my drive, but even though malware can be hooked with just about any file, they’re only active if they’re in the Windows or Documents and Settings folders, right, because while they can be attached to a lot of things, they can only run with DLLs or as .exe files, right?
Okay, MB, I still think that clean reinstallations and cleaning the drive are separate things (otherwise, what can ya call the kind of Windows installation that’s fresh even without reformatting, instead of just an "upgrade"–just a "fresh reinstall" but not a "clean reinstall"?), but your answer still sounds like a pretty good one. Thank you. I’ve been trying to finish archiving this hard disk to DVDs for some time now. I’ll try to find the funds to buy a 4th fixed hard disk (my current 2 others besides this C: are too full, too) so that I might be able to do it faster. Or maybe I’ll buy a Blu-ray burner and discs. The Blu-rays would be faster than the regular DVDs, obviously, but the 4th hard disk would be faster than the Blu-ray, even.

And thanks, France and the others, too.
JS, I’d like to apologize for giving you a thumbs-down just because you suggested SUPERAntiSpyware even though I had already said that I tried that before. You did provide some other examples that may be good, and so I’m sorry. I’ll try to find someone to give you a good thumbs-up to work against my bad one.

Have a better day tomorrow,
Mike

I want to reformat my system..all data in the hard drive cleared, in short…clean install. However, my CD-ROM drive is corrupted and I can’t install Windows using a bootable CD. Fortunately, I copied the entire CD to my hard disk as back up, and now I want to reinstall Windows XP, can I copy the setup files to drive D(secondary HDD partition), run setup.exe and then choose clean install? Are the data in drive D won;t be cleared also if I choose clean install? Remember, I will install Windows XP in drive C.

i cannot install new windows xp on any drive(ie D:,E:) of the hard disk, also cannot repair the existing os(ie windows xp sp2) which is installed in
C drive.how i can fix this problem without changing the hard disk? any software available? note that chkdsk utility failed to repair