Hard Drive Error

"Event Type: Error
Event Source: Disk
Event Category: None
Event ID: 11
Date: 12/11/2006
Time: 2:38:55 PM
User: N/A
Computer: BLUEMACHINE
Description:
The driver detected a controller error on \Device\Harddisk0\D.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 03 00 68 00 01 00 b6 00 ..h...¶.
0008: 00 00 00 00 0b 00 04 c0 .......À
0010: 01 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0018: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0020: 00 c4 07 ab 1a 00 00 00 .Ä.«....
0028: 89 71 51 01 00 00 00 00 "°qQ.....
0030: ff ff ff ff 03 00 00 00 ÿÿÿÿ....
0038: 40 00 00 8f 02 00 00 00 @......
0040: 00 20 0a 12 40 03 20 40 . ..@. @
0048: 00 00 00 00 0a 00 00 00 ........
0050: 00 00 00 00 a8 0f da 81 ....¨.Ú
0058: 00 00 00 00 30 eb 80 81 ....0ë€
0060: 02 00 00 00 e2 83 55 0d ....âƒU.
0068: 28 00 0d 55 83 e2 00 00 (..Uĉ..
0070: 10 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0078: f0 00 04 00 00 00 00 0b ð.......
0080: 00 00 00 00 08 03 00 00 ........
0088: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........ "

This error and ones like it keep popping up at boot up. When I keyed this into Help Center, it said the most likely cause is a loose IDE cable. I used to think the drive was failing, but disk manager and several third party apps list the drive as healthy. What's the cause of this perpetual error?

In any case, its time for a reformat as this computer has been slowing down since 2003 and I got a 250GB backup drive yesterday. Does anyone know how to get a clean reformat on a pre-built HP computer? Like without the internet offers/ crippled software demos?

 

Did you check the IDE cable?

 

Not sure what you are asking ?
Are you asking to install Windows on the HP with or without their software on the other partition ?
The HP software install is loaded with hidden programs that slows the computer to a slug.
Best to do a clean install with another copy of an OS.
You can check the drive out with the program spinrite.
To get rid of the other partition you can fdisk or use an overright program like kill disk http://www.killdisk.com/ .
Not sure of the drive but if it a standard brand - maxtor , western digital etc. - they have downloadable bootable programs on their websites that diagnose and others that will quickly overwrite the drive.
Ensure that you back up all your data as it will be long gone.