Help UNinstalling RedHat

low98gmc · Dec 19, 2004

I recently picked up a used box which as Linux RedHat installed on it... I'd like to change it over to win2kpro. I don't have a Redhat disk at all, just to get that out of the way..

After trying a few things I've gotten to the point where it says "OS not found" on startup. For some reason I can't get it to boot from the win2kpro disk, but can from a win98 disk. But I'm not able to format the drive at all, it claims there's an error and ends the format. Now I've never used Linux so I have no clue where to start.. What do I need to do?

TIA!
low

SickBoy · Dec 19, 2004

I would make a set of 3.5" floppy Win2K bootdisks and go from there, if it can't boot Win2K from the CDROM drive.

**moved**

low98gmc · Dec 19, 2004

When I say it won't boot from the 2k disk, I also mean it won't boot even with the floppy... 98 is the only one that it will boot with for some reason and I can't even get it to format

klingens · Dec 19, 2004

Boot win98, run fdisk and delete the RH partition(s). It can delete non MS-DOS partitions too. After that you should be able to install win2k. As soon as you can convince your BIOS to boot from that CD that is.

Ebola · Dec 20, 2004

when you boot to dos type: fdisk /mbr

This will clear the master boot record (which usually contains the boot loaders). This should do it because you should be able to delete/create partitions in your windows 2000 install from there.

low98gmc · Dec 22, 2004

Ebola said:
when you boot to dos type: fdisk /mbr

This will clear the master boot record (which usually contains the boot loaders). This should do it because you should be able to delete/create partitions in your windows 2000 install from there.

I've already done that... I believe thats how I ended up with "OS not found" when it boots from the HD. I'm guessin that my win2kpro disk is at fualt here. But thanks for the help!

One question that has come up now is even when using win98; trying to setup from CD I get a CDW0110 "Not Read Ready", or something to that effect, is this a driver issue? I ask only becuase I can't even get DIR to work on the CD drive... :bang head

I'm kinda of a newb when it comes to teh trouble shooting so go easy on me.. :eh?:

Lummoxx · Dec 22, 2004

Sounds kinda like a CD drive hardware issue. Try swapping it with a known good one.

Ebola · Dec 22, 2004

Sometimes if you don't have your ide devices defined as master/slave in your bios, os installs won't work properly. Like Lummoxx said sometimes it is bad hardware. I was installing fedora on some old computers and the cd drives kept saying the cds were bad but on a newer machine they read just fine.

If you have another os cd laying arround try it out and see if you have any better luck.

Who makes your hard drive? Most manufacturers have little floppy bootable programs that will write zeros to your hd. After doing this your system thinks the hd is new and installs usually work better.

low98gmc · Dec 23, 2004

Ok, so far I've tried 3 different CDroms, 1 of which is BRAND new. So I'm guessing its not a hardware problem.

Ebola - I did notice that my HD was undefined, But didn't really mess around with it too much, I'll have to give that a shot.

I've tried swapping out to an older drive which has/had 2k on it, which seems to have a parital install. It asks if I'd like to do a repair install? Whats the best way to go about this? It asks for a repair disk... (I did a search and found some stuff on XP, should I use the same method for 2kpro? - Here! )

Thanks again for all the help guys!
Ryan

Stupid Boy · Dec 23, 2004

Nuke it.

sunrunner20 · Dec 24, 2004

whats wrong with booting to linux live and useing simple dd?
and
never used linux?!

I think you might be missing out on alot, might want to give it a try some time.

low98gmc · Dec 24, 2004

sunrunner20 said:
whats wrong with booting to linux live and useing simple dd?
and
never used linux?! I think you might be missing out on alot, might want to give it a try some time.

dunno... guess I fear change..

As long as I can update my sites, edit pictures and what not I'm happy... Any way... I got it working a bit better, I did a repair install, but still needs a full, CLEAN install..

Stupid Boy - Thanks for the link!

I may be able to use that later on.

Help UNinstalling RedHat

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