You can try with hitachi formatter but looks like The MBR of your hard disk is pointing to a Primary Partation which has no Operating system.

It is not a big problem. there are number of ways you can solve the Problem.

1) If you know the linux installing .. upon installing , you will get option to create a new partaion, and delete the existing partation. You can create FAT32 file system partation too . Create one partaion and install the windows 98 not the XP on that FAT32 partation.

2) There are many third party too that is helpful for low level formatting .. I can't remember the name of there is one with Norton AntiVirus emergency start up floopy disk. Use that one and create a partation and use 98 windows installation and then XP

3) Try to install 98 or MS DOS OS after using it formatting utilites and install XP later.

Hope .it helps you