Formatting harddrive

[afcbob]

I installed Fedora core on a spare computer to play around with but now i need to use this computer as my main one just broke so trying to get windows XP back on it for just now. but when i try to boot from the windows xp CD i get to where it says config hardware and so on then screen turns black and nothing happens.

Am i doing this all wrong or what

Thanks

[Greg]

Run FDISK and remove all NON-DOS Partitions. Remove all existing partitions to utilize the whole drive for windows.

[afcbob]

Thanks for your reply am new to linux so could you tell me how to do the above.

[Greg]

FDISK is a DOS utility and should be on the windows XP CD if I recall correctly. Boot to the command prompt, not the install.

If not, get the utility disk for the hard drive from the MFGR and wipe it clean that way.

[Zero Tolerance]

Or go to www.bootdisk.com and grab a windows 98 startup disc. Once you have a 98 startup disc you will then be able to type 'fdisk' in at a command line and remove your non DOS partition.

Simply remove the partitition. Do not repartition or format from that disc. Let the new windows installation handle that for you.

[afcbob]

Yeah thats what i did i had to use a 98 boot disk my xp disk would no boot it.

[dakar]

Another error you may see when swithing from Linux back to windoxe will be a single

LI..... (short for LILO) and halts the machine

From a dos boot disk (or most any M$ bootable CD if you run fdisk /mbr that will fix you right up so you can actually boot an OS other than Linux from the MBR.