Installing XP and removing Fedora??

[nicks mom]

I am trying to install Windows XP on a computer that has Fedora installed on it. My mother bought this from someone and the husband can't remember the password they used....
I don't have any information about the computer to help . I can't get passed the login page for Fedora to see any information about it.
I put the window XP  disc in and it will boot from cd and then you can hear the disc spin for about 30 seconds or more then it stops and there is a black screen. I don't know how to get anything installed on here to use this thing.
Any help is greatly appreciated!!
AmyC.

[Allan]

Make sure the cd drive is the first device in the bios boot order and make sure you are using an original, retail XP CD.

[nicks mom]

It is booting up from disc when it starts up. It say to boot from disc press any key... I do and it won't run.

[Allan]

There are only three reasons it won't boot from a cd or dvd:

1) The cd drive is not the first device in the bios boot order or
2) The drive itself is bad or
3) The cd or dvd is bad or not bootable

Are you using an original, retail XP CD?

[nicks mom]

Yes, it's a retail XP disc.I'm going to change out the cd drive and try that next.

[Allan]

And I take it back - there is one other (remotely possible) reason you can't boot from the optical drive and that's if the cmos battery needs to be replaced. And while that's a simple enough item to take care of it is, as I mentioned, really a remote possibility.

[nicks mom]

Now I'm even more confused...
I replaced the cd drive, the cmos battery and I tried it . Boot from disc, says it's checking config setup then goes black but never starts install. I switch out the hard drive with one from my sons computer. It won't start windows from that HD. It keeps rebooting. I had it boot fromm disc on my sons HD and it started to install. Is there something with the HD with Fedora that would keep it from installing? and my sons HD ...I don't know why it won't start windows normally...even tried safe mode.

[Allan]

No, booting from the optical drive bypasses the boot loader on the hd. But I don't understand something you are saying - you keep saying it says "boot from disc" - can you explain that please? Does it say that it's booting to the cd drive? Does it say if you want to boot to the cd drive to press a key? EXACTLY what do you see when you try to boot with a bootable cd inserted?

[nicks mom]

It is boot from cd drive and says to press any key to boot.

[Allan]

If you didn't say that you'd tried the cd on another system I'd say the cd is bad. I'm sorry, I'm at a loss. Perhaps someone else will have some thoughts.

[Geek-9pm]

Please allow me a brief comment here. Somewhere in the Microsoft knowledge base it says a hard drive may need preparation for Windows XP.

This can be done with a computer that has an operating system such as Vista or Windows 7. The hard drive is connected as a slave drive and then in computer and drive manager you delete the existing partitions and create a new partition that is compatible with windows XP. Tad's all it takes.

Sorry I don't have the reference available nor do I fully understand why the pre-prep is needed, but it has been documented.

Ultimately, this can be done with some of the Linux live CDs that have some version of  GPart or other partition manager programs.

[Allan]

First, I never heard of any such thing. Second, that would have nothing to do with the ability to boot to the optical drive.

[nicks mom]

Yes the cd works, I'm reinstalling it on my sons which for some reason moving it from his pc to this one made the black screen come up asking how you want windows to start, (safe mode ...normally...) I put it on start windows normally and it won't start, it reboots and says the same thing. I will try what you said about making it the slave HD after it installs on the other HD.

[Geek-9pm]

First, I never heard of any such thing. Second, that would have nothing to do with the ability to boot to the optical drive.

Allan, it is not the CD drive. It will install on another Hard drive. It will not install on the hard drive with Linux on it. The Linux partition has to be deleted & replace with  any Windows compatible small  primary  partition. Sorry to interpret the thread. I am going to start a new thread on this issue. It might get long and boring.
Carry on!
 

[nicks mom]

Ok It installed on my sons  HD and I put the other HD in as a slave and in computer>D drive>format...it is reformatting !! Thank you!

[JJ 3000]

Is there something with the HD with Fedora that would keep it from installing?

No.

I switch out the hard drive with one from my sons computer. It won't start windows from that HD. I don't know why it won't start windows normally...even tried safe mode.

That's normal. You can't just swap a hard drive into another computer and expect it to boot. This is by design.

Boot from disc, says it's checking config setup then goes black but never starts install.

Does this computer use IDE or PATA drives?

Does it use a video card or is the video on board?

Can you tell us the brand and model of the computer?

[patio]

First, I never heard of any such thing. Second, that would have nothing to do with the ability to boot to the optical drive.

I agree...

[[email protected]]

dont understand . laptop windows xp  no printer

[kennyawinner]

try formatting  the hard drive

[Geek-9pm]

I thought this tread was dead.
For You Information. Windows XP CD will NOT install  if
1.) There is no FAT, FAT32 or NTFS partition
AND
2.) All space is taken by an alien OS using a non-XP compatible file system. BCD, UNIX, Linux etc.

This is well documented ** in  the MS KB. You find it, I am too old to do your homework.

He can use almost any DOS boot disk with FDISK to deleted the alien partition.

Quote from: Allan on May 26, 2011, 11:57:18 AM
    First, I never heard of any such thing. Second, that would have nothing to do with the ability to boot to the optical drive.
(Patio)
I agree...

**Well-documented: Found at least once in some obscure place int the MS KB. Maye  in the NT section.

[Salmon Trout]

I thought this tread was dead.

It was, until a brand new user chose to revive it. I wonder why.

[Geek-9pm]

try formatting  the hard drive

Well, he did have the right answer. But the XP Boot CD can not get that far without some space to store temporary files on the drive.
This is a fluke, as the Install CD will even 'borrow' unallocated space if needed. But a full alien drive will crash it with no warning. Rather rare.  Does not apply to Vista or Windows 7.
Wonder if the OP ever figured it out?

[pattana083]

thank for all

[Salmon Trout]

thank for all

A new member to watch... clearly.

[Rob Pomeroy]

I've seen hard drives get into a state where an XP installation disk can't replace the existing Linux bootloader.  The easy solution is use DBAN to nuke the drive completely.  XP will then install properly.  You don't need to run a full nuke - just let it run for a few seconds.  That's enough to wipe out the boot sectors.

http://www.dban.org/