Formatting RedHat to install dual-boot Win ME & Mandrake

[minhaz]

I am new to Linux although I know some Unix commands from work and university.
I have a P2 with RedHat 6.1 OS.
I want to format this to create a dual-boot system with Win ME and Mandrake 9.1.
I know that Win ME needs to be installed before Mandrake 9.1
Can someone tell me how to format this RedHat OS ?
Do I need a DOS/Win boot disk ?
Any help would be appreciated.
Minhaz

[yowwww]

unless its a high level P2 then I would advise against your idea to use mdk 9.1 (it will be very slow) and win ME is just garbage (not just cuz it's windass), if you wanna anything on that, I would go with 98 and something like vector linux or college linux, but nonetheless...

the first thing you wanna do is get rid of your current partitions (assuming you have already backed everything up or don't care). You can use something like partition magic or even fdisk to do this. Delete all of the partitions and then create a partition for windows in the size that you want. Leave the other space as unallocated unless you know exactly what kind of partitions you want to create.
Then install windows on that created partition FIRST. After that is done, you can insert your linux install cd. If you go with something like mdk or red hat, it will autopartition for you. Just select 'leave current partitions and use unallocated space" . With red hat, you can select a box at the bottom of the screen that allows you to review what partitions will be created and formatted. Just make sure that the fat32 or ntfs partition that you created and used for windows does not have a check mark next to it.
Continue with the install and make sure you know whether you want a floppy boot or a bootloader. I would suggest using a floppy boot so you don't overwrite the mbr, but that's up to you. Make sure you test the floppy on another box to make sure it was created properly, if not, then go back and create another until it has the necessary files on it. If you want a bootloader, then most people prefer grub.
Then, you're done, you can start getting an antivirus for windass and buying software for it and you can start configuring linux any way you like and install free software and not worry too much about viruses.
Can you tell I'm biased? lol
Good luck.

[minhaz]

I know that fdisk cannot format my RedHat OS.
Apart from Partiition Magic, is there any other software that can format a Linux OS ?
I am trying to use the Mandrake 9.1 CD to boot up on my RedHat 6.1 PC but this does not boot up - instead, the PC boots into root login for RedHat.
I can search through the Mandrake 9.1 CD using File Manager under RedHat OS but am not sure how to run the Mandrake 9.1 install.
What I want to do is completely format this hard drive so that is clean - I can then install Win ME and then Mandrake 9.1 to use booth as a dual-boot system.
Is there any way I can format my RedHat OS so that the hard drive is completely clean ?

[Dolda2000]

The installation program can format it.

[minhaz]

I have found out that the Mandrake 9.1 CD does not boot up on my P2 (this P2 already having RedHat 6.1 as its OS). When I put my RedHat 6.1 CD in it, it does boot up from this CD. This means that my P2's BIOS does boot up from CDs - but not using the Mandrake 9.1 CD.
I will have to use this Mandrake CD to create a bootable floppy and format this P2.
I can then use a Win ME boot disk to fdisk this P2, install Win ME, and then install Mandrake 9.1

[yowwww]

my 500 celeron does something similar, it will boot everything and anything but slack - go figure, lol.
can you upgrade your bios?