trying to switch back to windows

[hitchhikes4mail]

I was trying to give linux a shot but now I need my computer for windows again. however, I can't get the copy of windows to boot now. I'm using linux mint now. how do i reformat and install windows?

[devils casper]

In rare cases, Windows OS installation disk doesn't boot up because of GRUB. It looks like you are facing similar problem. You have to remove GRUB from MBR.

Do you want to keep Linux Mint and setup dual boot or just wipe Hard disk and install Windows OS only?

In any case, post the output of sudo fdisk -l command here.

sudo fdisk -l

* Its small L in fdisk -l.

[Wakou]

I'm guessing Caspar, that GRUB has overwritten the MBR? For XP, boot to windows install CD, select recovery console, select your windows install, and run 'fixmbr'....

[hitchhikes4mail]

I'm guessing Caspar, that GRUB has overwritten the MBR? For XP, boot to windows install CD, select recovery console, select your windows install, and run 'fixmbr'....

no, i'm using linux mint 10 i think. i tryed booting with vista disk from disk drive but it simply prompted to the login menu.

i keep getting suggestions to delete the os from terminal but i don't know the procedures to do that.

what i need is specific instruction.

[devils casper]

I tryed booting with vista disk from disk drive but it simply prompted to the login menu.

It means Machine is not even trying to boot up from Vista Disk. Have you checked BIOS settings? Make sure to set DVD/CD drive as first boot device in Boot Order options.

i keep getting suggestions to delete the os from terminal but i don't know the procedures to do that.

what i need is specific instruction.

As I mentioned in my last post, we need output of fdisk -l command first. We will post instructions after looking into output of fdisk -l command only.

Do you want to wipe Linux Mint and install Windows OS only Or setup dual boot?

[hitchhikes4mail]

its says

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/ track. 19457 cylanders/ total 312581808 sectors

Units = sectors of 1 * 512 =512 bytes
sector size ( logical/ physical): 512 bytes /512 bytes
I/O size ( minimum/optimal): 512 bytes/512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0001e3ff

Device Boot start End Id system
/dev/sda1 * 2048 13672447 83 linux
/dev/sda2 13674494 312580095 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 308654080 312580095 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 13674496 308652031 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk?dev/mapper/cryptswap1: 2010 MB,20101292 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 244 cylinders, total 3926016 sectors
units=sectors of 1*512 =512 bytes
sector size ( logical/ physical): 512 bytes /512 bytes
I/O size ( minimum/optimal): 512 bytes/512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x2ca77848

Disk /dev/mapper/cryptswap1 doesn't contain a valid partition table

[del2]

I've just had to do this on a number of computers that had their hard drives wiped clean (donated to the school by a business)
Boot from a live Linux CD/DVD (e.g. Knoppix or GParted) and open a console and run
ms-sys --mbr /dev/sda
(assuming your hard drive is sda)
That will replace the GRUB bootloader with the Microsoft bootloader on the MBR (Master Boot Record)
Now it should boot into your Windows partition.

[devils casper]

In case you want to wipe Hard disk, execute following command in Mint's Terminal :

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

Reboot machine.

Above command will remove Partition Table and Boot Loader. Your Hard disk will be blank as new one.

[hitchhikes4mail]

In case you want to wipe Hard disk, execute following command in Mint's Terminal :

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

Reboot machine.

Above command will remove Partition Table and Boot Loader. Your Hard disk will be blank as new one.

cool so i removed the the os. now when I boot up the computer, it says there's nothing on there, but it still wont boot the windows disk from the hard drive.

[junak8]

cool so i removed the the os. now when I boot up the computer, it says there's nothing on there, but it still wont boot the windows disk from the hard drive.

You need to install windows maybe