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Aiite I did the stupid thing and installed Linux Mandrake 8.2 Completely on my hard drive without partitioning anything. (dont flame me for it) and now I want to get rid of it completely and install windows 98 (I'm soooo sorry!!!). I was wondering if there was any way to get rid of it completely and install Windows 98. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks for your time.
Yeh, format your HDD. Just get a tool like fdisk or disk druid or something like that and completely format the hard drive, then get your install discs for Win98 and put them in and it should be automatic from then on.
heh.. well this definetly is a newbie question.. But hey, I bet all the oldbies here did the same thing when they started out.
You know who you are. ;)
Luckily this isn't too bad. I guess at this point you already realize your going to lose everything.
You did make backups right ;) Well, if you didn't you will from now on... right...
Grab your windows boot disc (you do have one don't you?) If not go to a friends house and create one on their computer.
Throw in the boot disc and restart your computer. In the menu choose to start w/ cd-rom support.
when you get the c:\> or a:\> put your win98 cd in.
type format c:
when its done type d:
you should see d:\>
then type setup and you should be on your way.
hehe I know it's a newbie question and I'm sorry. I know you guys have better things to do with your time then try to solve my problems. ;)
I tried to install windows like that, but the thing said that it couldnt for some reason. I wish I could remember exactly what it read.. but I'll try out what Mr.Jehnx said after some more replies if there are any =)
Hmmm.. okay.. restart your computer and hit F1 a bunch of times as soon as it starts (or whatever else you hit to enter the setup a.k.a. BIOS)
Make sure your computer's boot order is set to boot from
1)floopy drive
2)cd-rom
3)hard drive
I think that may be the problem.
And its no waste of my time.. I'm at work.. Now THATS a waste of my time.. heh
Hmm,
We're you going to dual boot?
Just set your BIOS to boot:Quote:
Aiite I did the stupid thing and installed Linux Mandrake 8.2 Completely on my hard drive without partitioning anything. (dont flame me for it) and now I want to get rid of it completely and install windows 98 (I'm soooo sorry!!!). I was wondering if there was any way to get rid of it completely and install Windows 98. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks for your time.
1.) floppy
2.) cdrom
3.) hard disk
Then stick in the Win98 CD and restart. Windows will not allow you to have any other partitions on the hard drive except for FAT32 partitions so it will automatically detect that your disk is in linux format and ask you if you want to reformat to FAT32.
If you choose "Yes", it reformats.
If you choose "No", it reboots and ask you if you want to reformat.
"Hmmm", you say, "I think I'll reformat!" So format your disk and procede with the Win98 install as normal. You gotta love Microsoft ;).
Isn't the Win98 CD-Rom a bootable CD-ROM? It has always booted for me... when I used Win98, that is.
you have to delete the linux partitions. windows fdisk can't do it. you need to get a copy of aefdisk http://www.aefdisk.com/
put it on the boot floppy, when the system starts type aefdisk/delall. your done with aefdisk and can creat a new partition with fdisk format it and install windows
Thanks everyone very much for your replies and taking the time to Help me out. ^_^ Appreciate it a lot.
I now have windows on my computer (Using it right now infact! :D ) except theres one more wee little problem I've encountered... And if anyone still wants to help this poor old [no wait young!] fool I would appreciate it a lot as well..
I installed Linux awhile ago on my computer completely. So it used up all 10 gigs... And now since I have windows on my computer (it only has 1.69 gigs) I want to get all 10 gigs for windows.. I tried doing it one way where I put in my boot up disk for Linux..loaded it all up. And then when it got to the part where I got to choose "install" "Upgrade" "Upgrade packages only" I went to "Install"... But then it started telling me that my HD was to currupted for the computer to read! :( :( If anyone could guide me a long or give me links or just about ANYTHING I would adore you! lol. Thanks for reading this =)
hmm appolovega... you are saying that your 10Gb disk seems to be only 1.69 Gb since your linux adventure?
Well, did you listen to Tedob1?
You probably still have some *nix partitions on your disk... they will show up in Fdisk for Dos as unknown (or perhaps unix type). You need to delete/alter them with an fdisk version for linux (Normally on your distro cd) Start with your linux boot disk. Enter the linux fdisk, read the instructions (you can display them hitting a key, however I do not remember which one) hmm... be carefull with that tool... it's very powerfull (more then fdisk) do not use the expert options (unless you really have to, but I doubt that). Delete the partitions you want to delete. If you are done you can write the partition table. After this changes are made and you cannot restore without probs... so again be carefull. Restart your box with a windows bootable disk or a dos boot disk. Enter the dos version of fdisk. Make your partitions. Make sure that it uses all your disk space if not, then you probably don't have large disk support on. You can read about those limitations in, I think, the first AO newsletter, I have made an article about those disk issues in that newsletter. Now you are done and made your partitions, let's say c:\ for windows and progs and d:\ for data. Restart your pc and format the drives.
You can start installing Windows after that. (make sure you choosed with cd support when you boot with your win98 rescue diskette)
> psychosque > yep you can start from CD if your computer and CD-rom player supports El-Torito indexing.
Thanks A bunch Mr VictorKaum. Yea I did listen to Mr.tedom1 and He helped me a lot actually. Him giving me that link gave me a bright idea.. Why not goto Download.com and look for Partition programs? So I downloaded a lil 54k program and made it into a boot floopy.. And restarted the computer. Got rid of All the partitions in a matter of seconds and then formatted the entire hd to Fat 32. :D:D So now I have all my hd restored.
Thanks to everyone to replied here and helped me out. You dont know how much time and effort you've saved me. You guys kick ass! lol =) Have a great night.
http://download.com.com/3000-2094-88...ml?tag=lst-0-1
^^^^^^^^^ Is where I got it. So if anyone wants to get rid of all their partitions and start over from scratch there it is. All you do is download the file, then open up DOS cd into the directory where it's saved.. Then type in "wreckit a:" I believe.. I could be wrong thou. And then you should have a bootable disc. Then you reboot the computer, and press enter BAMN your done! easy like pie! =D
w00t, I believe "Mr. VictorKaum" is Ms. VictorKaum though!
to get rid of lilo you have to do a fdisk /mbr
hehe LILO or GRUB or whatever Mandrake uses (I use RH :P) is phun to get rid of ;) I remember trying to get rid of it before I knew about the fdisk /mbr-tried all kinds of stuff to get rid of it, so finally after talking with one of my friends about it, I just took at out the MBR battery :P
cat /dev/zero > /dev/hda
The full version of W98 is a full-boot disc, as far as I know. Run fdisk, and delete all partitions, then format c:, then set your BIOS to boot the CD-ROM first...If you have an ATAPI CD-ROM, this part is easy...
The W98 disc will automatically format and repartition your drive to suit its needs, FAT32 included.
Ouroboros