Format of Linux Drive to XP????

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jim Fell
  • Start date Start date
J

Jim Fell

All,

My son, while visiting over the holidays, decided to show me the "wonders"
of Linux so he downloaded and installed a free version of the Linux OS to my
second hard drive. However, I understand he should have installed a "boot
loader" on my "C" drive to enable booting to XP or Linux but forgot to do so
before he returned home.

I really have no desire to install a boot loader -- learn Linux etc etc.
What I want to do is reformat the Linux drive so it can be used as back up
and additional storage for Win XP SP2 but using Win XP SP2 Explorer the
drive appears to be full and I can not format it.

Where do I go from here? Any sugestions would be appreciated.

TIA
Jim
 
How to Remove Linux and Install Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314458

How to Remove the Linux LILO Boot Manager
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315224&Product=winxp

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| All,
|
| My son, while visiting over the holidays, decided to show me the "wonders"
| of Linux so he downloaded and installed a free version of the Linux OS to my
| second hard drive. However, I understand he should have installed a "boot
| loader" on my "C" drive to enable booting to XP or Linux but forgot to do so
| before he returned home.
|
| I really have no desire to install a boot loader -- learn Linux etc etc.
| What I want to do is reformat the Linux drive so it can be used as back up
| and additional storage for Win XP SP2 but using Win XP SP2 Explorer the
| drive appears to be full and I can not format it.
|
| Where do I go from here? Any sugestions would be appreciated.
|
| TIA
| Jim
 
Hi,

So you are booting to Windows ok? Or are you stuck booting into Linux?

As to the second drive, start/run diskmgmt.msc. Right click the drive
housing linux and see if there is an option to remove the partition. If so,
do it and then create a new NTFS or FAT32 partition from the resulting free
space. Then format it and it's ready for use. Do not do this if you have not
resolved the boot loader issue - if that's a problem fix it first.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
Hi Nutcase,

Yes I am booting to the C:\ drive just fine. That is where XP SP2 resides
along with all my other programs and it works just fine -- slow shutdowns at
times though but that is another story altogether.

After the Linux OS install on my backup drive and discovering windows
explorer would 'see" the drive as completely full and would not allow me to
format it from Explorer then I figured I would have to take it to a local
computer shop to get it reformatted to NTFS. So I removed the Linux drive
from the machine. If I understand you correctly I should be able to
reinstall the Linux drive into my computer and format it using start/run
diskmgmt.msc and then follow your instructions below so long as I am
presented with the option to remove the partition on the Linux drive.

What should I do if I do not get the option to remove the partition on the
Linux drive?

TIA

Jim
 
Hi,

Yes, you essentially have it. If it doesn't work, then you can always use a
9x boot floppy to delete the non-dos partition, or something like BootIT NG
which can also remove the partition (it's shareware, but you don't need to
install it to use it). In any case, you shouldn't need to bring it in to a
shop.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
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