how can i Install WinXP over Linux While Retaining Linux

[kirn]

first i have installed winxp on 'c' drive

i have grub as boot loder on my system

and i installed redhat on last 12gb partition

as for now both are workin fine
but "i want" to format my c drive and instal winxp on it again

by doing this i will loose my redhat,is there any way to retain redhat even after installing winxp

plzzzz letme know ,its quite urgent
thxxxxxx

[oz]

Welcome to the forums!

Yes, it is possible to install Windows after Linux, but unless you know what you are doing, it's usually easier to wipe the drive, install Windows, then reinstall Linux (at least in my opinion).

The easiest way to wipe a drive of all content, is go to a terminal, su to root, and issue the following command:

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda bs=512 count=1

You'll need to replace /dev/sda with your actual device name such as /dev/hda.

Using the dd command above will write zeros to the entire drive giving you a totally fresh start.

If needed, you can use the fdisk -l command to determine your device name:

fdisk -l

That is a lower-case letter "L" in the command, and not a number 1.

Let us know how it goes.

[kirn]

hey ozar thx for reply
but i couldn't get ur answer(steps) which u have shown,could u plzz
be simple in ur answer

cozz myself a newbeee to linux n linuxforums

[oz]

hey ozar thx for reply
but i couldn't get ur answer(steps) which u have shown,could u plzz
be simple in ur answer

cozz myself a newbeee to linux n linuxforums

Look for the Terminal application in your applications menu, or there might be an icon for it already in your panel in Red Hat.

Once there, issue the su command, and enter the root user password when it's requested.

If you don't know your root password, you can download a liveCD, such as PartedMagic, burn it to CD, and boot with it to run the same wipe command, except that you don't have to use a root password.

Once in a terminal, enter the dd command I posted above. You should get a short message about records in and records out.

At that point, the drive is ready for you to install Windows by inserting your Windows installation CD and rebooting your machine.

[kirn]

first i have installed winxp on 'c' drive,have D & E drives under xp

i have grub as boot loder on my system

and i installed redhat on last 12gb partition

things i would do,correct me wherever i am wrong

1.i will login to redhat as root.

2.open a terminal.

3.type this code

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda bs=512 count=1

& enter.
wats bs=512 and wats count=1,do i need to change the above code

4.place an xp cd in my cd drive and reboot

doubts

* in step 3 do i need to change the code or punch in code as it is.

* after step 4 ,i will be asked"press any key to boot from cd",i would press some key,and rest goes the same way?(i know to install win xp)

* can i install xp in C drive

[devils casper]

Do you want to wipe whole harddisk and re-install both Windows OS and Redhat again?
Or
Do you want to re-install Windows OS only and keep RedHat as it is?

[kirn]

Do you want to wipe whole harddisk and re-install both Windows OS and Redhat again?
Or
Do you want to re-install Windows OS only and keep RedHat as it is?

i just want to format c drive(win xp) n install xp onit again

and i want to retain my installed redhat linux

for further info read my first post

[devils casper]

Boot up from SuperGRUB CD ( download it from here ), select 'Fix Windows Boot Loader' option. It will remove Linux Boot Loader and Windows Installation CD will work after that.
After Windows Installation, boot up from SuperGRUB CD again. Select 'Fix Linux Boot Loader' option. It will re-install Linux Boot Loader and setup dual boot again.

[kirn]

Boot up from SuperGRUB CD ( download it from here ), select 'Fix Windows Boot Loader' option. It will remove Linux Boot Loader and Windows Installation CD will work after that.
After Windows Installation, boot up from SuperGRUB CD again. Select 'Fix Linux Boot Loader' option. It will re-install Linux Boot Loader and setup dual boot again.

how do i set up dual boot again

[devils casper]

After Windows Installation, boot up from SuperGRUB CD again. Select 'Fix Linux Boot Loader' option. It will re-install Linux Boot Loader and setup dual boot again.

As I mentioned earlier, SuperGRUB CD will setup dual boot itself. You have to select 'Fix Linux Boot Loader' option only.