I would ignore the problem with trying to boot the existing W2k disk for the
moment - you are introducing too many new issues into the problem.

It's possible that what he though was a virus attack was actually a disk
drive fault.

Go back to the original hardware configuration, then remove what's not
essential to a running machine, like printers etc. If possible, simplify
the system, such as replace the USB mouse with an old serial mouse. Then
get some decent hardware and hard drive diagnostics and make sure everything
is operating OK.

Formatting a disk won't necessarily remove every virus - there are parts of
the disk that format doesn't touch. As part of the diagnostics you get an
option to erase the whole disk. This process will erase everything on the
disk, including a possible virus and any remaining traces of old operating
systems.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
wrote in message
ps.com...
I have a friend w/ a pentium 3 Gateway machine (OEM OS has been removed
previously and Windows OS/98 and Windows OS/XP had been loaded and
working great.) that has two hard drives, one with Windows OS/98 and
the other drive with Windows OS/XP.

Recently he believes that his system was attacked by a virus/worm and
it was deleting files. He ran a utility disk to format his HD. We
powercycled the RAM to clear anything out that may be causing an issue.
We then checked his boot sequence to ensure that we would be able to
boot to his CD-ROM drive. We inserted a Windows XP CD and booted to the
XP CD. It would load all necessary files and it would make it to
"Detecting system configuration..." At that point one of his HD's would
give us an error that a HD was not detected and the other would give
just cycle through "Detecting system configuration..." several times.

We attempted to use a HD that I know is good with Windows OS/2000
server and Linux Red Hat. This is set up to dual boot. It will make it
to the boot menu and allow us to choose 2000 server or Red Hat. If we
choose 2000 then it makes it to "Starting Windows" and the progress bar
moves all the way across the screen, then just sits there. With this HD
even booting to the Windows XP CD it makes it past "Detecting system
configuration...", then we get a message

BIOS system time is correct and nothing in the BIOS has been altered
except the boot sequence.

1. What could stop a new HD to have Windows XP loaded on it from a CD
when my HD was recognized? It did get to a blue screen with an
advisory that Windows set up was shutting down because it has detected
something that may harm Windows system. This is not the HD that was
affected by the worm/virus or that was formated.
2. Why would one HD be recognized but say that there is something that
may harm the system, when I can put it in another PC and it loads fine?

Any serous suggestions welcome. Please feel free to have me clarify any
of this post.

Thanks,

-PeteSS