Delete Ubuntu 9 04

I need XP on my laptop for when I travel. I mistakenly installed Ubuntu 9.04 completely , as on one of my desktop computers, which is just fine there. However I want to install XP on the laptop and no can. It can only go so far then gives me notice. "That to go farther may damage the computer." I want to delete Ubuntu, so that I can install XP and do my work when I travel. Thanks.

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What is the XP installer telling you exactly? I assume it just tells you that you'll lose all existing data when you format the HDD. If, for some reason, the XP installer fails to format the HDD, boot from your XP media into the recovery console and run fixmbr. See

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058

Reply to jasperjones

None of that. It just will not boot any farther, because "it may damage my computer." It will not boot. It stops there. Fini, Kaput, Nada.
I have no data, no programs, I have cleaned them out., only UBuntu on the computer. That is all I want to delete and it won't let me so I can install XP. Thanks.

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Reply to nikaawa

What do you mean delete Ubuntu? You don't usauly "Delete" an operating system (Windows or Linux, although to be fare most people dont accidentally install one either.) However, to effectively delete it boot up the windows disk and go to install and you should see an unrecognized partition. Delete it. If you cant Try GParted (http://gparted.sourceforge.net/) Download the live CD boot up and delete the partition. Also what error message are you getting exactly? It sounds like a BSOD. Are you seeing like 0x000007B. Write it down.

Reply to yang925

This is as per usual. They quibble on the terminology. I want Ubuntu out so that I can get XP in. I understand that it is very difficult to understand by geeks. "Just boot up the the windows disk, tra la la. Ha! I cannot do that because it tells me that I cannot do that. Dumb Dodos.
Does anyone out there understand what I am trying to do. Please, somebody.....

Reply to nikaawa

Insulting people is not the way to go, i guarantee it. Now you didn't write it down. So lets try again write it down! we can't help with no information. Don't blame us. You did that to your computer.

Anyway, Sounds like a computability issue maybe you need controller drivers. What model computer do you have: ex. dell Optiplex GX620.
Also just to confirm the blatant.
Did it ever have XP on it.
Did you ever install XP on it?
Is the Install Disk your using in good condition.
What service pack is the disk your using.
And exactly when do you get this error? Ex. The disk says loading the starting windows. After that It blue screens. Or I make it to part where it says installing the goes to a blue screen that says .....

Message edited by yang925 on 10-22-2009 at 08:20:04 AM

Reply to yang925

I agree, do not insult. However. Somebody over there is giving me a hard time. The XP on it before or after, disk in good condition, Of course, I would know wouldn't I? What service pack?
Ok. here goes. I start Ubuntu, and press F2 to get on CD. I restart the computer and Window XP comes on, then goes through a whole series for what seems like loading. Then a big screen that informs me that It cannot go any farther. "It may damage my computer" I should geek this and geek that. from Ubuntu. I don't even know what they are talking about.
I do not have an data, or programs on the computer. I removed those long ago. All that is on the computer is Ubuntu. I want it out and XP in.. But it seems to be very difficult to understand. by the ones that are supposed to know. Don't they have something that completely formats the disk so that I can install XP?

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Reply to nikaawa

nikaawa wrote :

I agree, do not insult. However. Somebody over there is giving me a hard time. The XP on it before or after, disk in good condition, Of course, I would know wouldn't I? What service pack?
Ok. here goes. I start Ubuntu, and press F2 to get on CD. I restart the computer and Window XP comes on, then goes through a whole series for what seems like loading. Then a big screen that informs me that It cannot go any farther. "It may damage my computer" I should geek this and geek that. from Ubuntu. I don't even know what they are talking about.
I do not have an data, or programs on the computer. I removed those long ago. All that is on the computer is Ubuntu. I want it out and XP in.. But it seems to be very difficult to understand. by the ones that are supposed to know. Don't they have something that completely formats the disk so that I can install XP?

I understand your frustration. To help you I may have to ask you a few questions. If you could help out by answering as calmly and as best as you can. I will also do my best to explain where I am headed with things and why I am asking.

Yes we can completely format that disk but I doubt that will help in this case. They Problem I am betting is there is that It doesn't "see" the hard drive because it dosn't have the "drivers". So if you could look on the front of the machine and tell us is it a dell or an HP? Is there markings like pavillion or optiplex? This type of identification would be on the front of the tower, or big box. The CD you using were did it come from ? Did you get it with the computer? What is it labeled? It may say Windows XP Profressional Reinstalation Disk . Service Pack 2
Finding out what model of computer exactly will let us find out what drivers if at all you need drivers. Now from your last post it was slightly unclear to me ? Have you personally ever installed Windows XP on the Machine or did it just come with Windows?

Message edited by yang925 on 10-22-2009 at 08:41:34 AM

Reply to yang925

The machine is a laptop, Acer Aspire. It came with Windows Vista and I in error installed Ubuntu on it completely. I wanted to install XP so I sent for a disk and received two disks. One with XP and the other with Service Pack 2. Then Acer sent me a recovery disk (Vista) and a regular install disk. All paid for. Which ever one I use will give me the same screen. It will go no farther because "it may damage my computer." And it follows with geek this and geek that. I know, I know, I may have to donate it to the Salvation Army or something.

Reply to nikaawa

Is there a number near the Acer Aspire? Its sounds definetly like a "driver" issue. The machine was intended for Vista. Not all vista machines "downgrade" ( or go to XP ) very nicely. Some Cannot be done, others take some effort. Hopefully we can get XP on this for you although there is a small potential that you may have to settle for Vista. If you could get the number of acer aspire it is I can link you to the drivers, and potentially walk you though whats called slip streaming a disk. or creating a driver disk. Either of these methods will probably lead to XP Installing correctly although I will not garenetee it. I will have to look it up based on the model number. This number will be located the bottem of the laptop or maybe near the keyboard or screen. This number will be essential.

Also did you get the disk from Acer, specifically made for you model laptop? Or did you get them somewhere else?

Message edited by yang925 on 10-22-2009 at 09:25:51 AM

Reply to yang925

The number is the 3690 series. In another place it also has next to it 2970. I have two desktop computers. One with XP and I publish my newsletter. I use Pagemaker, Print shop and photoshop. On Vista it is not as easy but doable, and I planned on using it when I ride the bus to Honolulu, maybe once a week. The other computer has Ubuntu, and I have my fast internet connection and it does not tie up my phone. I use it to publish my blogs. More or less what the new Chrome by Google will do.

Reply to nikaawa

Additional: I got the Vista disks from Acer. The XP from someone else. And they both arrived at the same screen. Thanks

Reply to nikaawa

Is this your computer?
http://www.dealtime.com/xPF-Acer_N [...] _COMBO_XPH

It looks like This computer was made for XP SP2. So XP should possible. So to get this clear you do have another computer running XP we can use to help with this one? Do you hvae a cd burner on that one?

Reply to yang925

No, mine is 3690 series and it came with Vista installed. The XP desktop has a CD burner, I think. Thanks

Reply to nikaawa

I'm not sure this is the expected result. As for deleting Ubuntu, Windows can do it, no sweat - in fact, you can't remove Ubuntu from within Ubuntu without major hassle.

Now, if I understand correctly, you have a recovery disk from Acer, and a Windows XP install (not recovery) disk. I'll go with the install disk, since recovery disks are more often than not crap, and Acer's just plain don't work.

Boot from the Windows XP CD. You should get a text-mode, white-on-blue install screen (if you aren't then it's not a Windows install disk, it's probably another recovery disk). Follow the instructions until it asks you where you want to install it; it should then detail your hard disk's partition (2 or 3 of them, listed as 'unknown'). Delete them (if I remember correctly, you need to select them with the keyboard's arrows, then press D, and confirm). Then, once the drive has only free space, press Enter: the installer will create a partition that fills up the disk, and asks you to format it. Do a fast NTFS format, the system will then copy files, reboot. and finish its stuff.

Good luck locating the drivers, though.

Reply to mitch074

Mitch074 , he has tried that he says with no look. What we want to do i bet is slipstream a disk with all mass storage and chipset drivers along with SP3. SP2 tends to have issues with raid controllers. After this he should be able boot up and install.

So nikaawa, In order to make your disk work we are going to go through a process called slipstreaming. In order to make this incredible simple we will use nLite:
http://home.midmaine.com/~nlite/nl [...] taller.exe

Also here a "drivers" we will add.
http://downloads.driverpacks.net/x [...] -32_902.7z
http://downloads.driverpacks.net/x [...] -32_901.7z

These drivers are "compacted" in order to make them normal we will need 7zip.
http://downloads.sourceforge.net/sevenzip/7z465.exe (unless you have your prefered utility)

And finally Service Pack 3: (on the below you will have to press the download button)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads [...] laylang=en

In a minute, I will post the steps to slipstream.

Reply to yang925

Here is a "guide" (more of a direction) for slipstreaming. Sorry you have to forgive me for not having the software in front of me but any questions you have I will help with.

Inorder to slipstream the drivers first we have to uncompress them.

Overview:
1.Install nLite and 7zip.
2. uncompress drivers
3. Slipstream drivers and SP3 into disk
4. boot to cd and install windows.

Step 1 :

Download each utility from above and double click both and follow the prompts. Nothing special here.

Step 2:
Right click the .7z files that you downloaded before and choose "extract here". A folder should be created with the same name as the .7z files
If this dosn't work go to start -> all programs -> 7Zip -> file manager.
Navagate to were you saved the files.
Double click the files.
extract all.

Step 3:
Insert the XP disk into your computer.
Make a folder called XP_Install
copy the whole cd to the folder created above.

Open nLite:
When it asks choose install directory, choose where you created the folder.
Then push next.
Select slipstream service pack, the drivers, and bootable ISO options.

When it asks for the divers, choose the folders you selected.
make sure to check multidriver folder , or the one that is not single.
You should see a list of drivers. select all and okay.

Repeat this proccess, once for each folder.

Next for the service pack.
Double click the windows XP Sp3 service pack file we downloaded.follow the onscreen prompts.

As for the ISO part. Push the create ISO button. And then change it to burn a cd, and press burn.
Insert a blank cd and go.

If anything goes wrong, or I left something out, post it . Also you have to forgive me for not having nLite in front of me. I am using Ubuntu. Irony.

Reply to yang925

That's a lot of work, it would be easier to keep ubuntu and install XP in virtualbox

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Reply to linux_0

The warning message you get is because you are about to delete the entire contents of your hard drive. There is NOTHING on any manufacture provided XP install disk that i have ever encounted that would physically damage your computer.

Reply to audiovoodoo

Easy fix.

Boot from the Ubuntu install CD as Live session.

Run gparted, if you can't find it from the menu then you can start it from a command line with: "sudo gparted". It's a nice GUI and there is lots of documentation on-line.

Delete all partitions on the HDD.

Shutdown.

Install XP
.
If that does not work I'll send you a free Banana

Reply to audiovoodoo

That'll probably work

Hands audiovoodoo a banana.

But keeping ubuntu is not a bad idea, you can dual boot, or dual boot and use VMs.

Good luck

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Reply to linux_0

Have you guys every installed XP on a machine that blue screens . He says it just loads for a while then says it has to stop. Probbly a blue screen. Of course he isn't posting exactly what it is though. If its blue screening it could be failing hardware but probably is just missing drivers. The controller to be specific. His disk is SP2. SP2 dosn't play well with raid controllers. Solution? XP SP3 and drivers just in case.

Message quoted 2 times
Message edited by yang925 on 10-23-2009 at 05:58:24 PM

Reply to yang925

@linux_0: true. Only little snag: installing Ubuntu first then installing XP is lotsa troubles. Installing XP first then Ubuntu is much easier (XP is a badly behaving neighbour, overwriting MBRs and requiring partitions to be of a certain type to boot).

Now, the OP is obviously a newbie; I was giving instructions for use with the XP CD, because a recovery disk may refuse to delete partitions it doesn't know about (thus the message, I bet); and then, one may as well boot only once from a single CD to perform the install, instead of booting off a Linux LiveCD, opening a terminal window, use a command line to start a partitioner with root access, wipe the drive clean, reboot, and then perform the install...

As for slipstreaming a Windows XP CDROM with SP3, although nLite makes things very easy, it's a bit OOT for a Linux thread...

Reply to mitch074

yang925 wrote :

Of course he isn't posting exactly what it is though.

It's sort of amusing actually...

nikaawa wrote :

"That to go farther may damage the computer."

nikaawa wrote :

"it may damage my computer."

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Reply to jasperjones

windows is designed to damage your computer :lol:

Not to mention your brain.

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Reply to linux_0

yang925 wrote :

Have you guys every installed XP on a machine that blue screens . He says it just loads for a while then says it has to stop. Probbly a blue screen. Of course he isn't posting exactly what it is though. If its blue screening it could be failing hardware but probably is just missing drivers. The controller to be specific. His disk is SP2. SP2 dosn't play well with raid controllers. Solution? XP SP3 and drivers just in case.

Yes, just a few times seeing as I admin it. Nowhere in ANY of the post on this page is there a mention of a blue screen. You mention RAID controllers, do you honestly think it's likely in a laptop? yes I know some do it but it's such a small minority that those that buy them tend to know about it.

Reply to audiovoodoo

OP has given up I bet however, i looked up the specs its an intel 910 chipset if I remeber rite , and I lot of business laptops have intel storage matrix raid controllers.
He also mentioned had to stop to prevent damage to his computer aka. BSOD.

Reply to yang925

Stop digging yourself a hole. It's a budget £400 laptop which by default shipped with a single 60Gb drive. Check the manual if you don't believe me:

http://support.acer-euro.com/drive [...] _3690.html

Reply to audiovoodoo

Please stop now. I appreciate the well intentions and understanding from all those that tried to help. But I cannot go any further. I have a friend who will try but he must have the original Ubuntu disk and I will give it him tomorrow.
If it still does not work, I will destroy all data on the hard drive and then see if I can install an XP or Vista OS. Thanks everyone and good luck all.

Reply to nikaawa

Thanks but no more help needed. I got a non-gook to help. He just installed Vista and uninstalled Ubuntu. I do not know yet how he did it but, Vistta is good enough. Not XP, but good enough for what I want. Thanks everyone for your good intentions.

Reply to nikaawa

** Listens to the large SPLASH as the bag containing Linus's kittens lands in the river **

A sad day for all concerned...

Reply to audiovoodoo

Everytime someone installs Vista, God kills a kitten.

------------------------------ ...man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but usually manages to pick himself up, walk over or around it, and carry on.
Reply to sub mesa

...*enters thread*...

...*dry humps dead kitten*...

...*leaves thread, man-muck dripping from filthy member*...

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Reply to WingDing

WingDing wrote :

...*enters thread*...

...*dry humps dead kitten*...

...*leaves thread, man-muck dripping from filthy member*...

Anybody might think the residents of the other have just been given their eviction notice or something... 5 days to go - Expect a lot of new style 'stickies' before we go.

Reply to audiovoodoo

I'm glad the basement is getting nuked.

It was about time...

Reply to amdfangirl

Aww.. just because we asked you to stay out and helped warp the mind of your brother enough to inspire him to some truly creative writing.

You know the down side to it is that many of them might venture upstairs...

Reply to audiovoodoo

Yeh...

should we vote to keep the basement or ban you basement dwellers?

Reply to amdfangirl

Neither.. we are moving to a new home

There might not be many of us left by the time the weekend is finished...

Reply to audiovoodoo

Ban, hehe

Reply to amdfangirl

A lot of the crew are looking to have their accounts pulled. Some will doubtless go for the ban.

Reply to audiovoodoo

It's sad really.

The basement was the last bastion of the old THG.

Might cause the great migration II.

Reply to amdfangirl

These last few have been real doozies. Never in my 84 years of living have i ever witness such things. These are the productive minds of tomorrow. God help us. And thank to the others with good intentions. I have finally did the right thing. Shredded everything on the laptop. No more advice will be need from anyone, please. We should all go on our merry ways. Tnanks anyway.

Reply to nikaawa

*installs fedora onto his lappie*

Reply to amdfangirl

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