Can't do a full format?

[xenxes]

Just got my X61 a week ago and been trying to downgrade to Win XP Pro, this is what I've done:

1) Booted via XP Pro Install CD
2) Deleted the original partitions (including the restoration one, I don't need it, think I had to disable a security setting in BIOS first before it let me delete the CDFS partition)
3) Created two new partitions and attempted to do a full format on them
 - Full Format fails - says drive may be damaged
4) I went ahead and did quick formats (which doesn't do sector checks before formatting)

I got everything installed and running fine, a few days later after a driver update I get a blue screen saying winlogon was corrupt, I thought it was most likely the driver.  Repeated steps 1-4, same driver didn't give me any trouble this time, a few hours later I get a different unrecoverable error - stuck on logon screen asking me to connect fingerprint reader.  Now I'm repeating 1-4 again...

Maybe these events are unrelated, but the fact that I can't do a full format on the drive bugs me, anyone have an explanation?  Is the hard disk damaged?

[andyP Community SuperMod · Accepted solution]

xenxes, welcome to the forum,

check the hard drive out with Hitachi Drive Fitness Test, even if you don't have an Hitachi drive the utility will let you know if your drive is corrupt, or not.

[xenxes]

Thanks, nothing seems to be wrong with the hard disk, I just needed to set in BIOS > Config > Serial ATA (SATA) > Set AHCI to Compatibility, am still encountering the logon issue though, think I narrowed it down and started another thread