Just won a Fujitsu Siemens laptop with a bricked HDD.

Linux based partition tools were able to recognise that the "HDD is bad" -
although it may have been occasionally poking its head above the parapet,
because at one point the tools exited with a message that server edition
wasn't supported.

With a replacement HDD; the XP Pro install disk went through the motions all
the way to the partition setup screen - then said no HDD was present.

Since Linux based tools found the drive OK; I installed Fedora, that went
without a hitch and everything seems to be working.

The laptop is now capable of doing the job I wanted it for, but I'm used to
Windows, and finding out what's preventing the install would make life
easier.

Thanks for any help.