I'll put this in point form as I am pressed for time:

What's wrong:

-Hard drive only works with Linux
-Gets to 3% when its formatting under Windows
-When I format it under Mandrake Linux 9.0 setup the OS won't boot

What I have:

-Windows XP Upgrade CD Home
-Windows ME
-Mandrake Linux 9.0 cds


I tried using the emachines discs from my other computer and when the computer starts up, it suddenly restarts! :O

Basicly this hard drive is getting old but only works for Linux. I need windows for my new stereo I have. (Wine won't work, trust me on this)

This pentium 200 is capable of running Windows XP... It runs XP WAAY better than it runs Linux!

Sounds like a hardware issue maybe. Try memtest and a hdd utility on it. It is odd that linux runs tho, which usually puts hardware to the test... Maybe something win doesn't like about the drive. hmmmm.

"This pentium 200 is capable of running Windows XP... It runs XP WAAY better than it runs Linux!"

Actually it will run linux waaaaaay waaaaaay better than XP, it's just KDE and gnome that might slow it up

Not necessarily. I tried IceWM, Black box, and even enlightenment. I swear to you, how slow it was... It was unbearable!!! But no, I think I can fix it using Max Blast 3... 55 meg on dial up... I have all night *sigh*

Anyways thanks for your time in replying! Right now Im putting that emachines system on it, and then using the repair tool in Windows XP setup... Because I won't have to worry about formatting

That would be my first try with the disk tool... Let us know if you learn anything.

The linux thing was just a joke - ie CLI linux would be 'faster' than a GUI (linux or win)

Actually... if linux seemed really really slow in blackbox then perhaps that is a symptom of the problem?

Blegh, kernel was to heavy for the machine... End of story.

Ok What I did was I used the restore cds for paritioning and formatting... and then shut it off when it was about to restore and put in my XP disc and BOOM! It's all good!