uninstall mandrkae 9.2 & bootloader & reformat partitions

jkibbe · 08-24-2004, 11:29 AM

hi,

i installed mandrake 9.2 on my wife's PC some time ago. unfortunately, the 30gig HD is running out of space, so i'd like to uninstall 9.2, combine the linux partitions to one windows partition (E: ), and remove the bootloader, all without screwing anything up!

i have no floppy drive and no windows partition utility. i used a perfectdisk demo to create the initial partitions. i have knoppix and some other bootable linux cd's if i can use them...

thanks!

-jason

linmix · 08-24-2004, 12:09 PM

Never mind about uninstalling. Use fdisk (it's on the windows 98 boot floppy and I guess also on the XP cd) to delete the linux partitions and create you windows partition. You will automatically lose all linux data. If you have a good live-cd (linux) it might have Qtparted which can do the same thing for you.

As for the boot loader, windows will automatically overwrite it with its own bootloader.

jkibbe · 08-24-2004, 03:26 PM

I was able to use control panels>admin tools>comp management to delete the 3 linux-related partitions and make a NTFS one. Unfortunately, XP doesn't seem to recognize this new F: drive, though I can open it up from within this comp. management program.

Also, the bootloader is still there. XP doesn't have fdisk, so i can't do the fdisk /mbr that i've read about.

I'd love to get rid of the bootloader and have the partition work.

Thanks!

jkibbe · 08-24-2004, 08:36 PM

Got rid of the bootloader. Booted the XP CD, hit 'R' to repair, then 'fixmbr' at prompt. Almost all is well. I just can't get XP to recognize the new partition that it created!