How do you format hard drive with mandrake 8.0?

[timmybighands]

I have mandrake 8.0 installed on my computer with no other operating systems. How do I format my hard drive? I tried using Fdisk, but it won't work. What other ways are there to format the hard drive? Its a 20gig Quantuam Fireball just in case you need to know. Thanks.

[MandK_10]

Are you trying to wipe out linux to go back to windows?
If so you will have to use the fdisk that comes with linux. It will allow you to change the partitions back to fat32

If you are wanting to put another distro of linux or even reinstall mandrake, just put in the setup disk and you can use fdisk or diskdruid or whatever tool comes with the distro you are installing to take care of it.

mike

[Sawz]

if your trying to get a partition that you made working, then you need to run fdisk and create the filesystem(be sure your kernel supports it if its a uncommon one)

then you gotta do a mkfs(make filesystem) - its like a format command

syntax is something like this--

/sbin/mkfs /dev/hda1
then mount -t <filesystem type> /<dirname u want it in>

be sure to actually make the dir name you wanna mount the partition to first though

good luck

[timmybighands]

Originally posted by MandK_10:
<STRONG>Are you trying to wipe out linux to go back to windows?
If so you will have to use the fdisk that comes with linux. It will allow you to change the partitions back to fat32
</STRONG>

Yes this is what I'm trying to do sorry I wasn't more specific. I want to install Windows, then I will put Linux back on later.

So how do I use the Fdisk that comes with Linux? I tried booting to console or whatever its called and then typing in fdisk, but that didn't work. Can I run it from the Run Command search box, by typing in something? I tried typing in Fdisk there and that didn't work either.

So basically what I need to know now is how to run the fdisk that came with Linux. I'm not sure if it is the same with all distros or not. So if someone can help I would appreciate it. Thanks.

[jim beam]

read this to learn how to use fdisk: http://www.linuxnewbie.org/nhf/intel/installation/fdisk_nhf/Fdisk.html

you should use a boot disk if your going to delete the linux partitions: http://www.linuxnewbie.org/nhf/intel/osbooting/boot.html

[MandK_10]

I am not sure of your financial situation or how inclined you are to buying windows software, but my personal recommendation is once you do get windows installed, get Partition Magic 6.0. It does a great job of manipulating partitions of most types.

Mike

[timmybighands]

Ok thanks for your help, but Im still stuck.

I got into fdisk and I hit the help key. It says hit d to delete a partition. So I hit d and it says delete partition 1-6. Then I hit 6 and it will delete it. It will also delete 5, but it won't delete partitions 1-4. How do you totally format the drive. Deleting all partitions?

[carlywarly]

Hi, if you go to Maxtor's home page and look for a download called MaxBlast, it will allow you to completely reformat any drive, no matter which operating system has been on it. It will partition the drive however you want and format it in one step. Just follow the insructions.(www.maxtor.com/Softwaredownload/Maxtor_Downloads.htm) and choose MaxBlast plus.

[bdg1983]

Try the dos/win version of fdisk and select non-dos partition and see if you can delete them.

If that fails, then try downloading Gnu Parted from freshmeat.net and put on a dos bootdisk. You should be able to use Parted to delete any partitions.