Well first off, I want you guys to know I'm not just too lazy to look this up on the interent/forum so I did that and this is what I found...
http://www.ntcompatible.com/Reformatting_hard_drive_t30788.html

What I got from that was this is how you reformat your Hard Drive:

1. Get a copy of Windows XP
2. Change the boot options in the BIOS to 1st CD-Rom, 2nd Hard Drive
3. Insert the CD and restart the computer
4. Once the CD starts up Follow the instructions it says

Is this Correct?
What is partitioning; Will it say what I need to press to Re-Format the Hard Drive?

Very easy...

Set BIOS to boot from the CD drive the XP CD is in/will be in, insert the CD, boot the system...

Eventually you will come to a screen that says XP is already installed on your system, and you'll be asked if you want to install another instance of XP. There'll be a few options there, choose to format your HDD.

Then you can begin the long and boring process of installing XP. After that, you can begin the even longer and more boring process of installing service packs and updates.

Finally, after multiple reboots, you can start setting everything back to where it was before.

As for partitions, that's basically dividing your HDD into different areas, you can have a separate area to run another OS, or just for storage, or whatever. Personally, unless you are running two operating systems, I see no reason to partition your HDD.

Others may disagree, but that's what makes life interesting.

http://www.cyberwalker.net/faqs/reinstall-reformat-winxp/index.html

follow that link and choose instructions that suit you most.

This will only if you have an XP disc though....

Good linkage, props dude.

All drive manufacturers have tools you can download to format a drive.

a last side note is it legal or not to; if you have already had bought windows xp you just lost the CD, to use your friends copy of windows xp to reformat it on your system?

All that matters is the that you have the license and that you use your own CD key (for activation).

Problem is that if he has an OEM copy an you have different computers from different companies then your key probably won't work.

ok thats good thank you, oh by the way everything went along fine with the re-format except strangley the mobo reset back to the default settings but, i got them back to normal