Hard drive with endless XP installation loop

[shambles]

I have a Dell Dimension 3000 running XP SP3 with 2 hard drives - C and D, with XP originally on the C drive.  I acquired a number of trojans and after apparently getting rid of them I found that I could only boot my C drive in safe mode.  Stupidly I thought that reinstalling XP would sort the problem.  At first the installation seemed to go normally, up to the point where a restart was needed.  I restarted and XP began to run. Then it stopped and said XP cannot run in safe mode- XP is restarting, which it did and now I have an endless loop start -stop-restart-stop ad infinitum.  I have a second disk - D drive onto which I reinstalled XP.  I found that I could then rescue the info from the C disk.  Having gathered all I need I then tried to format the C disk but received an error message saying that Windows cannot complete the operation.  This is my last try before binning the disk.  Any help you can offer gratefully received.

[Allan]

No idea what you did. Did you try to do a completely new format and install or were you trying to do a repair install? In other words, what does "reinstalling xp" mean?

[shambles]

This started when I disabled my firewall when I was having problems installing a photo frame, and this was one of the suggestions to get over the problems.  I forgot to switch it back on and collected a bunch of trojans.  Among other things they had shut down McAfee, but I managed to get rid of them by using Spybot, but found that I could only boot in safe mode.  I decided, foolishly I admit, that re-installing XP would fix that.  I stuck my XP disc in and ran it.  All seemed OK up to the point where I had to restart to complete the installation and ran into this problem that XP will not run in safe mode, and neither will it just shut down.  It endlessly restarts and tries to complete the installation with the inevitable doomed result.

[Allan]

I still don't know what you are doing. Are you trying to start from scratch (erase everything on your drive and reinstall the OS)?

[shambles]

When I started installing XP I hoped to get the disc up and running as before.  Since the problems I have had I now wish to format the disc so that I can put it to further use when I want to.  I have tried both quick and standard format and in each case I get the message Windows cannot complete this format. 

[Allan]

Boot to the XP CD. Delete any and all partitions. Create a new system partition. Do a full format (which will also check for and attempt to repair any hd errors). Then install the OS. If there are problems please post the COMPLETE AND EXACT error message(s) you see.

[shambles]

Thank you for your patience.  I'm sorry but this is at the limit of my competence.  Can you please advise how I boot to the XP CD without it going into run mode, and amplify the partition procedure.

thank you

[Allan]

That's been your problem - you've been trying to format from within Windows and you cannot do that. Don't worry about the partition then. Just do this:

Change the bios so the cd drive is at the top of the boot order
Insert the XP CD
Reboot to the CD
Begin the install procedure. At the very beginning you'll be offered the option to format first. Choose that option.
Install XP

[shambles]

When I go into the Bios to Boot Sequence I find:

1.  IDE CD-Rom device,  2. Hard Disk Drive C, both ticked. 

There is no reference to my D drive, which is now running the OS.  I'm concerned that I do not currently understand the relationship between my C and D drives.  I tried to physically remove the C drive but could not boot the D drive even though I had taken the jumper off the C and put it on the D set to cable select.  It appears that the D drive has a slave relatinship to the C drive even though the C is not accesible.  I am worried that if I kick off a format procedutre at present I shall not be aware of which disc it is formatting.

[Allan]

Stop playing with the drives and follow the instructions above. If d: does not have an OS installed you cannot boot to it.

[shambles]

Sorry I wasn't clear above.  I tried to remove the C drive a few days ago, not today.  The D drive is what I am currently running on.  I installed XP on it to get the machine up and running, harvested the stuff off the C drive via Explorer, and am now trying to get the C drive out of the equation, although as I said I'm worried that it seems to be an essential part of the chain at present.

[Allan]

So there is only one drive right now? Then it is c: drive - it does not matter what its previous designation was.

Please - if this is not correct just start at the beginning and explain everything slowly and clearly. This piecemeal story is beginning to get a bit annoying.

[shambles]

My first post set out the current position - C drive unusable, D drive loaded with XP to get operational again.  At present both discs are in place and connected.

[shambles]

Just to say thank you for your assistance to date - I am now away from this computer for a week, back on 12/4/10