Helpdesk #10: Formatting

As we all know, the steps of formatting a pc are relatively simple:

- Back up all data you don't want to loose
- Make sure you know which software you'll need to reinstall
- Take note of all your logins etc
- Check again if you have backed everything you need up.

I am writing this from a local unprotected wireless network at the moment. I was asked to come to a local coffeeshop and install a legitimate windows for the owner on his accounting pc.

I took the neccesary backups, and quickly familiarised myself with his accountancy programme. Then the problems started.

During the winxp setup preparations, the PC bluescreened with these errors (ao):

0x000 000 7B
0xF78 D25 24

Which are harddrive errors. I tried running a checkdisk (/f) but that didn't work.

I proceeded to check the BIOS, after googling the bluescreen errors, and oh yes. The person who previously fixed this pc left a HDD setting in which was incompliant with the winxp setup.

In this particular BIOS I had to follow these steps:
Enter Bios
> Integrated Peripherals
> On-Chip ATA devices
> RAID mode
> It was set to AHCI, which according to my google skills was causing the error. I set it to IDE and off we were with the installation.

The pc came pre-installed with windows vista, but the 'client' insisted on Windows XP, something the previous person to help him failed at, since he was stuck with a pirated version of the OS.


It's a medion pc, so I downloaded the drivers from the medion wesite - Unfortunately it seems winxp drivers weren't available. Oh joy.

This is when the fun begins. Open up the computer and try to identify the brand, make and type of the unrecognised hardware. Luckily, I succeeded.