NEED HELP - did something wrong while deleting partitons

[haus_kat]

A while ago a friend gave me their old Compaq Presario F700 laptop computer when they bought a new laptop computer for themself. It originally had Windows Vista but then I tried reformatting the computer to delete all their personal settings and old data and start new. I found out then that that model computer had some issue with the partition that held the OS and then I was unable to install the Windows Vista again (there's articles about it on Google, some problem that was caused by manufacturer error when installing the software onto the partition).

Since the computer then had no OS, I partitioned the hard drive and put a copy of Windows XP that I had on a CD-Rom from my old Dell laptop computer and then put Linux Mint on the other partition and had a third partition that I was going to use to try Linux Ubuntu but never got around to installing it.  It's been a couple years since I did that. I only use that computer occasionally to do work on a program that won't work with Windows 7. I decided this week that I wanted to delete the extra third partition just extend the partition that held Linux Mint, then reformat that partition and install Linux Ubuntu instead.

When I initially created the partitions, I did that in BIOS but I didn't remember how to do that now and so I tried the advice from this YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIWh5sFdtcw

to delete the extra partitions using the copy of Windows XP that was installed on that computer. I noticed two small extra partitions and didn't remember what they were and thought I'd made them in error previously so I deleted them too. Well, after I re-booted the computer now it goes to Compaq screen like usual but instead of then going to the screen where it give you the choice of which OS to load it instead goes to a blank black screen that says:

error: no such partition.
grub rescue>_

Obviously, I made a serious error to delete those other small partitions. Is this fixable?

[PCdoc]

Use the linux live cd to check whether the partitions for linux and / or windows exist?? Btw, you have probably deleted the grub, Boot loader normally used for Linux.

[Geek-9pm]

Obviously, I made a serious error to delete those other small partitions. Is this fixable?

Unless you want to spend a lot of time, no.
From what you said, thee was nothing really important to you with that old Compaq.
Just start over.

[haus_kat]

there are files on the version on Windows XP that is installed. I wanted to keep Windows and delete Linux. However, after deleting the extra empty partition, I then re-booted in order to go into Linux Mint to be sure there no files I wanted to save before I deleted that partition as well. The problem happened upon re-booting the computer. Now I can't get into either OS, though the partitions are still there.

[PCdoc]

If you anyway wanted to delete linux. Use the windows xp cd to boot from cd, goto recovery console. At the command prompt type these two commands:
1) Type 'fixmbr' (without quotes) press enter. Example: at the command prompt i.e. c:\> fixmbr
2) Type 'fixboot' (without quotes) press enter.
3) type exit to reboot your machine and take out the cd from the drive.

Your computer should boot into windows xp. Use the Windows disk management in device manager, to identify and delete linux partitions. Or use something like Easus Partition Master Free (use only if you know how partitions work).

[haus_kat]

ok I tried that and now I get another type of error.

There was a partition on that computer that had Windows 2000 on it but that was deleted. Now when I boot, the computer asks me to select between Windows XP and Windows 2000. I select Windows XP and instead of loading that OS it goes to another black screen that says:

Windows 2000 could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEMd  startup options for Windows 2000, press F8

This message, despite the partition which contained Windows 2000 was deleted. I don't understand this. Also there seems to be a small amount (about 958MB?) of unpartitioned space in addition to a much larger chunk of unpartitioned space when I viewed diskpart. Otherwise there are only two partitions; one with Windows XP and another with Linux Mint. Why wouldn't all of the un-partitioned space be merged?

[PCdoc]

And what when you select windows 2000 from the options?

[haus_kat]

When I select to start Windows 2000 it goes right to a black screen which says:

Windows 2000 could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
<Windows 2000 root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
Please re-install a copy of the above file.

This is confusing since I don't have Windows 2000 on that computer and so why would it need any "missing" file to boot non-existant software that I wasn't wanting to boot anyway? Computers are frustrating!

Thanks for helping sort this weirdness

[PCdoc]

You have actually messed up all the partitions. Seems like you did not delete the partitions or remove windows 2000 properly before installing other OS.
Use the linux live cd to boot from the cd. Plug in a usb drive and copy all your important data to the usb drive. And start a fresh with proper partitions this time.

[haus_kat]

I tried using the Linux CD but can not seem to access any files that had been there on the version that was installed on the computer

If I delete the partition that has Linux would this resolve the issues I'm having with trying to boot Windows XP? Also, how would I merge all of the unused/unpartitioned space on the hard disk into a singular large block of unused/unpartitioned space?

I'm having to go to bed atm (I was actually just going to delete the partition before going to bed because I thought that would only take a few minutes but then this disaster happened). I will check back at this thread later on today. Thanks again for helping

[camerongray]

a copy of Windows XP that I had on a CD-Rom from my old Dell laptop

If this CD was included with the laptop and not bought separately you cannot install it on any other PC.

[Geek-9pm]

The problem comes from having too much on the laptop and not understanding how the thing works. He deleted a partition, which will mess up the boot loader.
Ifs the information is not important, he should just start over. Been there, done that.

[haus_kat]

I would still like to sort this issue. I thought I'd have time to mess with it today but it turned out I was very busy all day with many errands and chores. I'm not sure when I'll have a stretch of time to devote to this in the next couple days but I'll check back the thread whenever I have time. I have to go to bed now though

I'm not sure how to totally scrap and start over. I created partitions on the computer myself by typing in the commands to do that (and I have done this before in the past on other computers without issue but possibly because I had never needed to delete or merge any partitions before) but have never ever before used Windows OS to do that like in the YouTube video. I suspect that it where I went wrong to begin with and should have just stuck to doing that kind of thing by typing in the commands.

I'm not sure how I might start over because in the past when I bought a new hard drive, the sales person had implied there needed to be something done to it first before ever installing any OS on it. I told him I had the CD-Rom at home with the OS I planned to use but he said he'd have to set up the hard drive for me first. I don't know what he did but I remember it took over an hour. I'm assuming that whatever he did is whatever I would need to be doing now to set this right? Where would I find the information on how to do that?

Also, in the past when I had done partitions on the hard drive and had two different OS, they were both Windows OS (ME and 2000) and were compatible with each other and with the hardware as well. I know I will have issue with this Compaq because it's original OS was Windows Vista but I don't have that on disk and will be forced to use what I have (Linux and Windows XP) and that those are not totally compatible with the hardware, not even with the original drivers that I got from Compaq/HP website. I'm hoping Ubuntu will be better than Mint, though I was able to easily operate the computer with Mint. I just didn't like that it didn't have the browser I wanted. XP is a downgrade and doesn't really work but I need it anyway to use a program that was only available for Windows XP and 2000 and which does not work at all with Windows 7 (tried every way already).

Thanks everyone for your help/advice

[haus_kat]

Thanks for everyone's help! I wanted to post an update. The hard drive was re-formatted and I have re-installed both Windows XP and Linux Mint without much hassle. I had tried Ubuntu but it was very unstable on my computer so I opted instead to update to the latest version of Mint and I'm very happy with it so far. Both installations went smoother than last time and I didn't even have to look for any drivers to get everything running smoothly Mint seems much easier to use and set up than Ubuntu was.

[PCdoc]

Nice. Good that you got it sorted out. Please mark the thread as solved.