make it easy on yourself and get a mac lol

WAIT!!! Download or find a program called "HD-Regenerator". It will boot off a CD and fix your hard-drive hardware level errors. The guy who created this program needs to be given a nobel prize. I can't tell you how many drives I have fixed this way.

Let us know of the success. This will work for the Mac lovers too as it does not care what file system you have on the drive.

Good, another useful post in this thread. Getting really tired of the "duh, get a Mac" solution to a hard disk problem.

FYI. The program is called HDD Regenerator.

Thanks for the tip MiCkEy, but the program cost a couple bucks more than I paid for a 160bg WD Caviar yesterday. Since I had another one of these Baracudas die on me a few months back, I'd just as soon replace it.

Replaced the drive last night and installed XPPro. OS install went fine and, after finishing, the computer doesn't want to boot - hangs after POST 'bout 4 out of 5 tries. I checked and I'm a few rev's behind on the BIOS - will reflash it tonight.