Please, is it possible to format a hard-drive right back to totally blank, just as they are when you buy them? Sit a magnet on it?
Failing that, I'm going to have to buy another HD and a lot of downloading to get on the net again.

The computer I'm using at the moment isn't mine, and has no connection to mine, and cannot easily BE connected to mine. My son insists. It seems to be totally clean. Honestly.

The story so far, for those interested. P4 machine, W98SE. I started getting trouble, not as a stand-alone, just when I was trying to get on the net. Installed a spare modem, but no difference. It became impossible to get on the net, so I formatted C: twice, reinstalled everything, got a new set of error messages but still no joy.
Something amiss on the HD? OK.

I bought and installed a second-hand HD, formatted it, which wasn't too easy, as it had W2000 on it, installed yet another new modem, installed Windows and the drivers, and GOT ON THE NET! Yeeaah.

Used the Zip-disk that has my virus-killer engine and Zone-alarm on it, and my troubles started again, and got to about as bad as they can be.

The dial-up # sometimes changes to a null. Sometimes Windows insists I'm on the net, as does the telephone, but no other programs agree. (This was one of the earlier problems with the original, and nearly new, HD.) Sometimes the computer freezes completely when I try to get to my ISP and even the 'sad man's mantra' doesn't work, I have to 'reset.' Sometimes it just crashes completely, sometimes I 'just' get a blue screen.
Apart from the connection problems, Windows driver installer has stopped working, Windows itself won't over-install, just freezing in the testing stages, and I get a lot of error messages (Can't find this, can't locate that).

Both HDs have been formatted and reinstalled twice, which is not an undertaking that takes moments.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open to advice. Otherwise, it is down to the computer flea-market on Saturday for (yet) another HD, and a session of downloading to fill it. NOTHING that I've saved goes on it.
I thought HD-killing virii were an urban myth. Both HDs checked as good when formatting.
Where did I get these problems? Dunno, but I get Spam daily from somewhere that uses an alphabet I can't read, Russian maybe. And my Brother-in-Law in Scotland is having trouble too. I got Kakworm from him, years ago.

I try much harder than most people to understand computers. I don't deserve this. Boo Hoo. Pass the tranquillisers! What are the chords to 'Pathetique? Chris. (Gurney)