Dang...How did that post get put up AGAIN? Sorry, Must've hit refresh, I am
using a site to view this newsgroup and post through here at the moment,
and I suppose hitting refresh after posting re-posted the message. Anyway,
I have searched for how to get the format number for a while now, and the
most I have found is a page on a Packard Bell support site saying it is
like in this one file in the Windows directory, obviously I have looked
for the file and it wasn't there because I freshly installed windows after
the original installation. Here's a link to that page that claims to have
the format number within the file or something:
http://support.packardbell-europe.co...e/ART01509.asp

It would help a lot if I knew exactly what format numbers of that timeline
determined too, I know there are different styles of numbers being setup,
the number could be just one that was assigned to the specific PC, restore
discs, etc. or maybe a certain PC series, or maybe it's a number which
matches something about the hardware to let the computer know that you're
using the restore CD on the right PC, whatever it is, it seems confusing.
There must be some way to hack past that format number message, probably
complicated though. Would it help if I ripped the restore floppy and
posted it online for you to download and try it? I can rip the CD too, but
i'm not sure if you'd want to download a file which is a few hundred megs
or something, heh, let me know though, some of you probably wouldn't mind.
It's like close to 360mb for the restore CD. I tried to get help for this
issue at a official Packard Bell forum, and someone there claims that it's
like a 5 digit number on the back of the machine. I am unable to check
that though since the PC isn't currently with me where I am right now, the
person wasn't positive though since it was an older computer than ones
they have had experience with. Hope this info I have provided helps a bit
more. I have heard some places that the format number is 8 or 9 digits, or
even 5 and 6, I am confused though, maybe all of those answers are correct
depending on the PC, huh?