Windows XP Reinstallation

[sparkios]

Hi I recently installed Mandrake Linux onto my Dell inspiron 2500 laptop and have been having some difficulty getting XP back. When I start my computer, Mandrake loads up without giving me a prompt or auto running the XP cd. I was wondering if there is a boot disk I need to create for the XP system to run. If not how can I reinstall XP (keeping in mind I'm not trying to dual boot - I want to remove Mandrake and have just XP)
Thanks for any insight and help

[rcgreen]

Go into the BIOS setup and set it to boot
from the CD ROM first.
Put the XP cd in and reboot and install.

If the computer won't boot from the CD,
you may have to create a boot floppy
to begin the process.

There should be docs on the install disk.

[alittlebitnumb]

Just a question: Did you install LILO or GRUB so you can multi-boot?

[sparkios]

alittlebitnumb: Seeing as I'm unaware of either of those things, I'm going to say that I did not although I may have accidently done it.

rcgreen: Thanks for the tips

[alittlebitnumb]

Well, then you probably did a default install, and I am kind of curious on how you lost WinXP when you installed Mandrake. I am kind of confused:

Did you overwrite windows to install Mandrake?
Did you want to muti-boot in the first place?
or
Did you want to uninstall Mandrake and reinstall XP?

Please reiterate.

[redgore]

easiest way is to boot into mandrake. using a VC log in as root and run ' fdisk </dev/drive> ' There is an option in there to make an empty DOS partition table. Use this and you will have a FAT filesystem that the XP install should convert to the filesystem type that it needs.

[sparkios]

I did a default install of Mandrake Linux and when I did it, I was not trying to do a multi-boot. I just wanted Mandrake on my computer, so it erased XP and now I want to have windows xp back onto it. And now I still do not want a multi- boot. I would just like to have XP on the machine.