I guess the problem wasn't solved as it has now been a day and it is still installing XP pro. It's progressing, just at a snails pace. I had successfully installed windows 7 on the machine but the task manager reported 100% CPU usage even though the SYSTEM was at idle. I thought MAYBE Win 7 was too heavy for the machine so i proceeded to install XP. Now I'm where I'm at now. 

The original OS was XP for net tops.

Its an eMAchine el1200-06w.

*  Here is my original question  *

A friend of mine had her son try to install windows seven on a fairly new desktop. She wanted a clean install to GET rid of viruses and spyware she had on the machine so he deleted all of the partitions on the drive in an attempt to get rid of any malicious software on the machine. The only problem is that he also deleted the small partition on the drive I have been told you should never delete and now I am having problems getting a new os on her pc for her. Should I tell her her son has permanently destroyed her hdd and price her a new one, or is there a way to fix the one in question? Any help would be greatly appreciated by both of us. She is tight on money at the moment and her daughter needs the pc for online classes.is this branded pc? or clone?

you can still install the os in the hard drive. just make sure you have the hardware driver.ok
I've updated the information in the first post of this thread. Quote from: revron on November 17, 2009, 09:38:55 PM

Isuccessfully installed windows 7 on the machine but the task manager reported 100% CPU usage even though the system was at idle

...Its an eMAchine el1200-06w....