[XP formatting partitions fails]

XP installed on mainboard epox 8k3a+ with onboard raid controller hpt372 doesnt format additional partitions (partition2: User and partition3: Groups) with ntfs. At the end of the formatting process a message appears: formatting not succesfull. Can anbody help?

[Active Directory under XP Professional]

One very basic question. Is it possible to configure a single Windows XP Professional Machine as a Domain Controller or an Active Directory Server to administer Users. Where can I start my search to set up such a kind of network (not peer to peer!) ?