How to remove Linux and install Windows XP?

[tech291083]

Hi,

I want to install windows xp on one of my computers which has Fedora core 5 32 bit as the only OS on it and no partition at all. How do I do this? Can any one suggest me something. I can't find something useful on the net regarding this. Thanks.

[jbennet]

boot off the XP cd and during the blue screen part of install there are sections for partitioning and formatting. unless your system has some wierd config you should just need to make one big partition of type NTFS and install windows to it.

[jbennet]

there is a page on MSDN.COM that has exactly how to do this
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314458

[tech291083]

there is a page on MSDN.COM that has exactly how to do this http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314458

I just put in the Windows cd in the drive and restarted the computer with it and it asked me to press any key too boot from the cd and I pressed one key on the keyboard and in a moment something like this flashed on the screen "Setup is inspecting your computer's hardware configuration" then the computer hangs for a long time nothing happens. Any idea?

[tech291083]

I am going nuts, can't figure out what is wrong here. Is there any free partition software that can be installed on Fedora core 5 32 bit that I am using in order to get rid of Linux completely and install Windows XP ?

[jbennet]

just leave it for a while
xp needs a driver floppy if you have sata

[tech291083]

just leave it for a while xp needs a driver floppy if you have sata

I have just managed to download a program called "qtParted" using the command "yum install qtparted" and restarted the pc and now I am deleting the only partition (primary) on which the Fedora core 5 32 bit is installed at the moment as the only os on the pc. Am I doing the right thing? How long does it generally take? Help please..

[jbennet]

you arent listening.

you start xp install off the cd and you can do all this from there

look at this image: in this part of the install you just delete the linux partition and make a new one for XP

http://web.mit.edu/ist/products/winxp/advanced/repairdeep01.gif

[tech291083]

you arent listening. you start xp install off the cd and you can do all this from there look at this image: in this part of the install you just delete the linux partition and make a new one for XP http://web.mit.edu/ist/products/winxp/advanced/repairdeep01.gif

Hi,

Thanks for the help. I know about the image and have seen it before, but the problesm is I have already put in the Windows xp cd in the drive to install it and restarted the computer with it and it asked me to press any key to boot from the cd and I pressed one key on the keyboard and in a moment something like this flashed on the screen "Setup is inspecting your computer's hardware configuration" then the computer hanged for a long time and nothing happened at all that is why I searched on the net and came across something called "qtparted" so I installeded it using the yum command. The windows xp installation does not go any further from the message "Setup is inspecting your computer's hardware configuration" so unfortunately I can not get to the stage shown in the figure given by you. This is the whole story as of now. I appreciate your help.

[jbennet]

you have to leave it for ages on the probing hardware bit if your machine has stuff which wasnt really around circa 2001 when xp was made (e.g raid, sata...) - on some cases this can be up to 30 minutes

Is the xp cd bad?
Does it work on another machine?

[John A]

Listen to jbennet - he's telling you the right stuff.

First, there's no need to remove Linux off the hard drive. The Windows installer is good at taking up the whole hard drive; that's why it's Windows after all. ;)

Second, Windows often warns that it may freeze up when detecting hardware. To make the installation as easy as possible, disconnect all peripherals from the computer except your keyboard and mouse. You can always add these things later, and then there's way less chance of it freezing up.

jbennet is right again; you may have to wait long periods of time, so be patient.

[jbennet]

Windows often warns that it may freeze up when detecting hardware. To make the installation as easy as possible, disconnect all peripherals from the computer except your keyboard and mouse.

this includes any cards etc... that arent essential for the instaler e.g

videocard = necessary
usb/lan card = not necessary

isntall these once windows is running

also, if you have SATA tell your bios (if possible) to run in IDE compatibility mode (may be called something else) - this means xp wont need to worry and ask you about driver floppies and pushing fsomething for a "3rd party scsi/raid driver" during install

[tech291083]

this includes any cards etc... that arent essential for the instaler e.g videocard = necessary usb/lan card = not necessary isntall these once windows is running also, if you have SATA tell your bios (if possible) to run in IDE compatibility mode (may be called something else) - this means xp wont need to worry and ask you about driver floppies and pushing fsomething for a "3rd party scsi/raid driver" during install

Thanks,

I am an idiot trying delete the only partition which has Linux on it. Any ways today I have decided to wait for a long time once the message about the windows xp cd installer checking the hardware configuration flashes on the screen. I think I now understand that all I need is patience. I am new to Linux and trying desperately to learn something about it, causing more troubles for myself and others. The problem has a lot to do with the fact that Linux is the only os and there is no other partition in place at the moment. Thanks again and will let you know what happens. Bye for now.

[jbennet]

all you need to do is this - stop confusing yourself

boot xp cd

leave for however long it takes

when you get to this bit: http://web.mit.edu/ist/products/winxp/advanced/repairdeep01.gif
delete all partition(s) and make a new one for XP

continue with install

[tech291083]

all you need to do is this - stop confusing yourself boot xp cd leave for however long it takes when you get to this bit: http://web.mit.edu/ist/products/winxp/advanced/repairdeep01.gif delete all partition(s) and make a new one for XP continue with install

Hi,

Thanks the patience paid off ultimately after almost 4 hrs. Cheers. Appreciated.

[jbennet]

yeah, some machines just take a while (in particular ones that have low specs or obscure hardware)

[John A]

Hi, Thanks the patience paid off ultimately after almost 4 hrs. Cheers. Appreciated.

See how easy it is if you follow instructions exactly? Hardware is so low-level it's usually difficult for even the OS to talk to certain peripherals even after they've been installed. It certainly makes sense that hardware detection will take a long time.

[tech291083]

There another solution to this annoying problem and here it is:

booted up from Fedora Installation DVD and executed this at boot: prompt


linux rescue
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda bs=521 count=1

The above two commands at the prompt helped me install windows xp without a fuss. I found them somewhere on the net. One more thing in case you have a SATA hard disk, replace hda with sda. This command will *wipe* your Harddisk and Windows Installation CD will work. I appreciate the replies to my query earlier. Cheers.

[John A]

This command will *wipe* your Harddisk and Windows Installation CD will work.

Who said that the Windows Installation CD didn't work before? Besides, the Windows Installation CD can wipe your hard disk just as easily as Linux can, if not easier (Windows still has to format your drive anyway, after it creates its NTFS partition).

[jbennet]

thats what i said

problem was it was taking ages finding his h/w on the xp setup blue screen part but its solved now