need computer help fast.

[Macs]

i decided to get rid of windows xp and go with linux. i want to erase everything and start from scratch. i tried to uninstall xp but it wouldnt let me. it said that the win 98 (i had upgraded to xp) was incomplete. when i built my comp. i think i remeber a jumper that would give you a clean slate. any ideas guys

[renotrikeguy]

Have someone with a Windows 95-98 machine make you a startup floppy disk from their system. Put it in your XP machine and turn on the power.

When it starts it should read the info from the floppy and end up at the commend prompt (a:\) .. from there type format c:\ and press enter.

Once the format is done there shoul'nt be anything left on your drive.

What Linux are you using? I have three different Linux computers and a Windows 98 box..

[Macs]

i am installing red hat. i got a friend make me a start up disk right now. so if he can figure it out i will be good to go. but he is having a hard time. is red hat any good.

[Macs]

well my friend that was going to get me a start up disk fell through. he didnt have the original copy. is there anything else i can do.

[Billy Golightly]

I tried running Mandrake for a while without any real success...I have a few pointers:

#1: BEFORE you switch to any flavor of linux research make SURE that there are drivers for your hardware. IE: Modem, LAN, Soundcard, Video Card, Monitor, some types of mice like the logitech cordless styles also require drivers for Linux. Then Double check, its even better to have them on disc so you can do it as your installing.

#2: Try to read and learn a few of the basic commands like how to login/reboot/shutdown ect. I don't know if you'll use a GUI like KDE or what, thats what I had. I formatted my drive and went into Mandrake about as wet behind the ears as possible, I didn't know trailprotrailprotrailprotrailpro about it. And it most definetly hindered things. I never did learn how to compile and install a driver :evil:

#3: Make sure you have another computer with internet access kind of handy so if you can't get yours setup with linux or your having problems, you can login on some sort of linux forum and try to get someone to help you out.



I really did try to get mandrake to work but I never got it to work with 1/2 of my hardware so I gave up and went back to Win2k.

[renotrikeguy]

If your installing Redhat 9 then it should find most of your hardware. When I put it on my one computer it found everything. Even configured the internet connection.

[Macs]

i got it done thanks for the help especially renotrikeguy. when i went to format i had to type fdisk instead of format. i love my new os.

[ATCRYDER]

If youve got the XP (Pro hopefully) Complete New Installation CD, youre better off installing that.

Nothing against Linux. it is Miles ahead of XP in reliablity but XP Pro isnt too far behind it.

I ran Redhat on my Vaio for a while. Wasnt much.

Windows XP Professional Edition -is- the most advanced OS to date, no matter what anyone tells you, Thats the way it is.

If youre really into trying out Redhat (which is understandable, its a great OS), You should have Dual-OS-Booting set up. One Windows and One Linux so you can switch it up. To do that, all youll need to do is install it to a differant partition on your Harddrive (make sure youve got enough space, Linus OS's take up about a 3rd as much as Windows, but its always good to have the space.

Good luck,
Rob

[ScottZJ]

Yeah I do believe that a dual boot is the best way to go, if you have the drive space. I have Red Hat and Server 2003 on of my systems and it works flawlessly. It is a dual processor so I can use optimum performance of the system. Plus if you decide to network them, the dual boot will assit in that...........peace