Re-install XP format left garbage on disk?

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

QUESTION: Is there any way previous data could have survived a correct
re-format/re-install of XP Pro, booting from its installation CD?
BACKGND: After fatal corruption from an early release of Office Pro 2003 i
inflicted on my new XP Pro system, I booted from XP's installation CD,
deleted & re-created the only partition of 156+GB (NTFS) (with 8MG
unpartitioned space), re-installed XP Pro, & tossed the Office CD. On my
"clean" system, I see much garbled data in the MSN app I had to re-download
to use my MSN browser. Their techs swear the data viewed in their Calendar is
on my computer & not their server. Indeed it is data Calendar previously
imported from the buggy Outlook app. I am baffled, but want a "clean"
install. Thanks for any insights! (I'm on my 3rd re-install in 2 weeks &
getting very good at it, unfortunately)

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

Perhaps your hard drive is damaged. You mentioned having to reformat and
reinstall 3x over the past 2 weeks. Another issue could be if your version
of XP does not have SP1 or SP2 imbedded then it can't format a drive larger
that 137GB. Your drive is larger and therefore might not have been
completely reformatted. You can create a slipstream version of XP by
following the instructions here
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/slipstream.htm

--

Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell/User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp


"Silver" <Silver@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news4AD122A-B75B-4D58-BA0A-F2B9084D2AE3@microsoft.com...
> QUESTION: Is there any way previous data could have survived a correct
> re-format/re-install of XP Pro, booting from its installation CD?
> BACKGND: After fatal corruption from an early release of Office Pro 2003 i
> inflicted on my new XP Pro system, I booted from XP's installation CD,
> deleted & re-created the only partition of 156+GB (NTFS) (with 8MG
> unpartitioned space), re-installed XP Pro, & tossed the Office CD. On my
> "clean" system, I see much garbled data in the MSN app I had to
re-download
> to use my MSN browser. Their techs swear the data viewed in their Calendar
is
> on my computer & not their server. Indeed it is data Calendar previously
> imported from the buggy Outlook app. I am baffled, but want a "clean"
> install. Thanks for any insights! (I'm on my 3rd re-install in 2 weeks &
> getting very good at it, unfortunately)