How do i get rid of Linux??

[-chaos-]

Hi, i got yet another problem :( I have a hp computer, and it came with recovery Cd's, which supposevly format the hard drive and install the original OS files. Well, i wanted to start from the original state again, yet after formatting and such, LINUX IS STILL HERE!!! How do i get rid of it? Please help me! Is there some sort of uninstallation procedure to fallow or do i goto delete the OS files while logged in as root or what? I am very surprised to still boot into linux normally like it did BEFORE the system restore.

[scanez]

Did you actually reboot into linux, or did the linux bootloader screen come back up? If you did reformat like you said then linux should not be on anymore. If just the boot screen comes up, run fdisk /mbr with your cd.

SC

[-chaos-]

Well, first the Linux Mandrake 8.1 Boot screen came up, giving me options to boot into Linux or windows etc.. I just let it boot into Linux to see if it would, and YES it did, just like if i didnt touch a thing. But when i entered Windows, it acted like it was reinstalled. Any help??

[X_console]

Sounds like your Restore Disk didn't do it's job properly. Anyway, here's how you do it:

Boot with a Linux boot disk or your installation CD. When you get to the partitioning section, delete the Linux partitions. Save the changes.

If you were running a boot loader on your MBR, boot with a DOS boot disk and type fdisk /mbr.

[nfallon]

Start the Linux Mandrake install. Once you get to the partitioning section in expert mode click on clear all. Then click on done. After the information is written to disk reboot the machine and everything will be gone.

To get the original HP software to reload you may have to perform an FDISK from DOS to create a partition if the restore CD is unable to restore.

[SPB]

What you should do is write zeros to the drive. This is a sure fire way of removing Linux for a hard drive. You can also do fdisk and then choose option 3 and the option 4 (i think its 4, for delete no dos partition). That SHOULD do it as well. Its been my experience that system recovery cd's (when used for automatic restore) don't exactly do exactly what they are saying they are doing on the screen (i used to work as a gateway tech. so that comes from experience). On the gateway restoration cd's, disc one anyways, had an option to exit the program to a DOS prompt. There you could run fdisk and format and a program called GWSCAN which allows you to write zeros to the hard drive (and test it and all kinds of stuff). Here is a link to download this utility, http://www.gateway.com/support/drivers/output.asp?curPlatform=Desktop&curSystem=All+Desktops&curCommodity=Hard+Drive&curOS=170&curManufacturer=undefined&curBios=undefined&txtPartNu mb=undefined
Its gwscan 3.15. Downlod it in windows and format a flopy using the system files only option along with quick format (this has to be in windows 98). Run the selfextracting gwscan file you downloaded and extract to the flopy. If it doesn't give an option of where to extract to then it put it automatically in c:\drivers\the file name. Cut the contents of that folder (if it syas that ther are some hidden files click view/folder options/view and move the dot from hide files to show all files) and then go to the a drive icon right click it and paste. Boot to that flopy to run the writing zeros operation. Its takes a while but throughly erases a hard drive (and no the "warning this test destroys all data on the hard drive" doesn't mean it will hurt the drive :) Good luck.

[Dark Ninja]

No no no no NO! Too damn complicated.

The HP restore disk only overwrites your C partition and creates your default configuration on that. Every other partition is left alone.

In order to remove Linux (completely) you need to find SOME kind of partitioning program, and format your Linux partition. (I recommend Partition Magic. Excellent program.) Then, from the DOS prompt in Windows, type 'fdisk /mbr' to remove the option to load up in Linux.

Last of all, you can use Partiton Magic (or whatever) to make your Linux partition a FAT32 (AKA Windows) partition again.


Dark Ninja

[-chaos-]

Ok last night i deleted all the partitions from C:, and created 2 new partitions. One for windows, with the windows file system and one for linux, with the linux file system. I set them up in partition magic.

I went to use the restore cd after it was done, and reformatted the first partition (the active partition).. When i rebooted, in DOS it displayed 2 letters-- LI, and did nothing.

Is this becuase somthing is set to boot the linux boot screen and not windows? And how can this be changed after? Should i just reinstall Linux and use the uninstall thing after it is installed in the 2nd partition? I goto get this POS working by tonite.

I used the Windows boot disk and i still could only get into a command prompt. Is there anything i can do with Fdisk?

I want 2 partitons, of equal size and one for linux, one for windows. Thanks

[mychl]

in dos... fdisk \mbr

[bdg1983]

Just one little correction

fdisk /mbr

[-chaos-]

Okay, i think i get how to do it now, thanks a lot to everyone who took the time to help me.

What exactly does fdsisk /mbr do, and is there a manual way to do it, or somthing?

Im also sure on a couple other things. I would, if possible, rather not use the system recovery cd's becuase they load up the computer with a bunch of junk i dont want. So if i were to format my windows partition, would i first need to install DOS or would i be able to boot using a widows CD, and install windows right there (Do newer versions of windows COME with dos? (im use to older comuters and stuff))

ON newer computers, do you still need to install a CD rom driver in order for your CD rom drive to work under DOS, or is it a defualt drive set in the BIOS?

Where can i obtain the latest version of ms-dos? Is dos free? thanks.

[X_console]

Microsoft has the answer for you: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q69/0/13.ASP