<DIV><BR><BR><B><I>Cyber Source <peter@thecybersource.com></I></B> wrote:
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<P>OR......I haven't heard WHERE your backing up your data too but assuming <BR>you HAVE DONE THAT ALREADY you could pop in a Fedora (or any Linux <BR>distro that has a rescue portion), once at a prompt you could (without <BR>the quotes)"dd bs=1k if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda" NOTE: THAT IS ASSUMING <BR>YOUR DOING THIS ON AN IDE DRIVE ON THE FIRST CONTROLLER AND SET AS <BR>MASTER OR SINGLE. That will COMPLETELY erase the drive, MBR and all. <BR>This is just one example as to why pc's that are important should not be <BR>left accessible from a security standpoint, no passwords, except BIOS <BR>but they can be overridden too, will stop this.<BR>Then.. put in your XP cd and start the system with that and let it do <BR>what it will EXCEPT for (and this is my whole point) partitioning the <BR>entire drive. If you have a large enough drive, I would leave enough <BR>room for a REAL OS (Linux). Then install Fedora or (starting to really <BR>look good, Gentoo) or Mandrake or whatever floa!
ts your
boat and take the <BR>time and use this group (if we get as much response to Linux questions <BR>as this Window question did) to learn a really great OS like Linux, if <BR>you haven't already that is!<BR>I wanted to pass that dd trick along as it saves alot of time and crap <BR>people usually spend with DOS disks or whatever. Good luck.</P>
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<P>Really? Wow!<BR><BR>Ronald Maggio wrote:<BR><BR>> Hi, Ken<BR>> My best advice to you is to back up any files you need to keep, make <BR>> notes on the kind of hardware you have so you know what drivers you <BR>> need to install, If XP does not find them. Then fdisk the drive and <BR>> remove all partitions, make one large partition and _*low-level*_ the <BR>> whole drive with your hdd software that came with the drive in <BR>> question to write it back to zero's. Turn it off let it cool down, <BR>> then use your hdd software again to repartition the drive as you <BR>> please, and reinstall from scrach. Take your time and you'll get a <BR>> clean install.<BR>> <BR>> I'd bet the drive was not clean before you tried to do an install and <BR>> it wrote a second install in the first as if you where doing a dual <BR>> boot of windows. ie: installing win 2000 pro, and dual booting win <BR>> 2000 server on the same partition. Sometimes!
windows
does strange <BR>> things. The only way to clean this up is to wipe the drive as I stated <BR>> prior.<BR>> <BR>> Good luck, let me know how you come out!<BR>> <BR>> Ron Maggio:)<BR>><BR>> */Kenneth Lawson <KENNETHLAWSON2000@YAHOO.COM>/* wrote:<BR>><BR>> Hello;<BR>><BR>> I know this is a linux user group but I have a windows<BR>> question/problems, and really don't know anyone who knows more them me<BR>> about windows to ask. (I live in Allegheny Country, in the country)<BR>><BR>> The question is this, I reinstalled xp last week I seem to have<BR>> everything up and going ok but I also seem to have two copies of XP on<BR>> my hd.when I boot I get a menu asking which one I want to use. I'm<BR>> using the first one. I tried the second one and it wanted to<BR>> regeisitor<BR>> that copy of xp. So I backed out and restarted with the first copy. Do<BR>> I need to reinstall everything again or what? Also I apparent!
ly
didn't<BR>> get the audio drivers or codecs installed because I don't have any<BR>> sound on the machine at all, other then beeps. Also my Works 2000<BR>> crashes the whole system, which never happened before.<BR>><BR>><BR>> If any of you have run into ! something like before and are interested<BR>> in giving me a hand I would appreciate it.<BR>><BR>><BR>> Thanks for your imput,<BR>><BR>> Ken Lawson<BR>><BR>> =====<BR>> Ken & Nancy Lawson<BR>> You may now see Our Pictures at http://www.civilwarimpressions.com<BR>> and<BR>><BR>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>> Do you Yahoo!?<BR>> Express yourself with Y! Messenger! Free. Download now <BR>> <HTTP: evt="26089/*http://messenger.yahoo.com" msgr taglines mail_us us.rd.yahoo.com>. <BR><BR><BR></P></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><p>
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