This will probably make you Unix mad...

[SEOMike]

I want to REMOVE Linux from a HDD and use it as a boot disk for Win Server. I have deleted the partitions and formatted the drive in NTFS TWICE and STILL can't get rid of it. It boots Linux every time. HELP!

[bcolflesh]

Did your just format, or did you fdisk first?

[SEOMike]

I used windows computer management first via firewire to remove the partition, repartion it and format it in NTFS. No luck.

[bcolflesh]

FDISK and remove the *nix boot partition.

[encyclo]

Have you tried booting with a Windows boot disk, and running:

fdisk /mbr

at the DOS prompt? This will restore the master boot record. It might help!

[SEOMike]

OK, here's the problem....

There IS no fdisk for XP or XP pro... I can't do it via firewire.

Next step I guess is to see if I can get the server installation CD to boot and write over the Linux MBR.

Any other advice would be great!

[trillianjedi]

There IS no fdisk for XP or XP pro... I can't do it via firewire.

If you can boot from CD why not just make up a DOS CD boot disk and put a copy of FDISK on it?

Any old version of FDISK should delete that partition record?

TJ

[encyclo]

Try: [bootdisk.com...] - you can download everything there and burn a CD.

[bird]

Next step I guess is to see if I can get the server installation CD to boot and write over the Linux MBR.

Stands to reason that you need to offer the system an alternative to what it already knows, doesn't it? ;)

Actually, I don't think it really boots Linux now. It just attempts to start the previous bootloader (Lilo or Grub) from the MBR, but probably fails with that rather soon because the OS itself is gone. Overwriting the MBR for Windows will fix that. Of course you also need to actually install the Windows system, but I assume that is obvious...

[SEOMike]

Thanks for all the quick help here. I was able to get the the BIOS and change the boot order, and am installing WinServer right now. We'll see if the installation overwrites the MBR. If it doesn't, I'll go with a DOS bood disk and run FDisk from there!

Thanks a lot everyone!