[master5]

I have inherited a Compaq nw8240 which has a single boot configuration into Linux.
How do I reconfigure the machine for XP only. I do not have any Linux discs at all and certainly zero knowledge about Linux.
Any advice would be greatfully received

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Have you tried installing XP at all? The XP CD should give you the option of formatting the disk, you should first remove the current partitions and replace them with new XP ones. If you have trouble you can just write the drive to zeros. You will need to go into setup to make the machine boot from CD-ROM.

[Tyger]

Have you tried installing XP at all? The XP CD should give you the option of formatting the disk, you should first remove the current partitions and replace them with new XP ones. If you have trouble you can just write the drive to zeros. You will need to go into setup to make the machine boot from CD-ROM.

[dsenette]

http://www.michaelst...nxpinstall.html. .
http://www.winsupers...xp_sg_clean.asp

Two Great tutorials for a clean install of XP complete with screenshots

Credit for Links ~ Johanna and Crash Override

[Kemasa]

A Linux Live CD, such as Knoppix, is a good tool to have and it would be easy to change the partition table with it, but you should also be able to use the install disk and select changing the existing partition table (I think I have seen Windoze have a problem with that though).

Try the links listed and if that does not work, download and create a Knoppix Live CD, boot the CD, once you get the window system running, open a command shell and type the command "su", to get a root window. Then run "fdisk" with the option "/dev/hda", assuming that is the hard drive, and delete the partition (there is help on the command, d is to delete a partition).

[master5]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions - they have given me something positive to try.
I have already amended the BIOS to 1st boot from the CD and tried an XP CD but with no luck: it looked at it and then hung in the system analysis - and then booted into Linux.
It'll give me sonething better to do in the summer than lie on the beach......

[warriorscot]

You could try learnign to use linux its probably on there for a reason and will probably work just fine if someone else set it up and used it as a main OS, its simple to use and very powerful worth trying especially if you arent going to use it for playing alot of games(linux has some good games that run well on laptops though and they are free).

[dsenette]

you could use DBAN to completely wipe the drive first...then install...but if you're having issues with booting to the cd...you may not be able to do this....are you using a ps/2 keyboard or usb?

To completely erase all data on the drive(s) using Darik's Boot And Nuke (DBAN)

Download

Readme.txt

Bootable CD version (ISO)
OR
Bootable Floppy/USB Version (EXE - self extracting setup)

Use

Bootable CD

• Burn the DBAN ISO file to a CD.
  NOTE: Keep in mind that this is different than burning a file to a CD. If you do not know how to burn an ISO image, then download CDBurnerXP Pro and install it. Then go Here for instructions for burning the ISO image
• Reboot your PC with the DBAN CD in the CD-ROM drive.
  NOTE:Make sure the PC is set to run from the CD as the primary boot device. You do this by setting your PC to boot to the CD-ROM in BIOS (enter bios by pressing f1, f2 or del key during memory count up, then search for boot order, and set the CD as the first boot device)
• Once you have successfully booted to the DBAN disk, type
  

  Autonuke

• Once the process is completed you may run it again as many times as it takes for you to feel comfortable, but my experience shows that twice is plenty (unless you usually walk around your house in a tinfoil hat so that the government's spies cannot intrude into your thoughts and steal all of your secrets)

Bootable Floppy/USB

• Double click the DBAN EXE file that you just downloaded to execute it
• Choose the drive that you would like to install DBAN on (A: for a Floppy or whatever letter is assigned to your chosen USB device)
• Press Install
• Reboot your PC with the DBAN Floppy in the Floppy drive or your USB device attached to an open USB port.
  NOTE:Make sure the PC is set to run from the Floppy or USB device as the primary boot device. You do this by setting your PC to boot to the Floppy or USB device in BIOS (enter bios by pressing f1, f2 or del key during memory count up, then search for boot order, and set the Floppy or USB device as the first boot device)
• Once you have successfully booted to the DBAN disk, type
  

  Autonuke

• Once the process is completed you may run it again as many times as it takes for you to feel comfortable, but my experience shows that twice is plenty (unless you usually walk around your house in a tinfoil hat so that the government's spies cannot intrude into your thoughts and steal all of your secrets)

IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE TO LABEL YOUR DBAN DISK CLEARLY AS ACCIDENTAL USE WILL BE CATASTROPHIC!