formatting harddisk & flash BIOS..
 

hi..
i want to completely format my harddisk(40GB) & flash the BIOS
...after that i want to again load the BIOS & other device drivers
through the Intel Desktop Board CD & proceed with the regular Linux OS
installation.(No Windows alongside)
what is the detail procedure to do it? & also that the CD i got for Desktop Board is Windows XP ready??

my system detail is:
Processor: Intel Pentium 4
Processor speed: 1.80Ghz
System bus speed: 400Mhz
System memory speed: 266Mhz
BIOS version: LY84510A.86A.0023.P09
Desktop Board: Intel D845GVAD2
Cache RAM: 256KB
Total memory: 255MB

Pick a LINUX distribution. Linux will trash Windows for you and it will ask you some questions. Flashing the BIOS can only be done by DOS or FreeDOS. You can flash the BIOS after or before installing Linux. Flashing the BIOS does not matter to Linux because it bypasses all the information and does its own scanning of your system. If your motherboard only detects up to 137 GB and you have a 250 GB hard drive, Linux will scan the 250 GB hard drive as 250 GB. If the flashing the BIOS fixes memory problems, then I said flash the BIOS. Linux will not be able to use Windows drivers.

According to Intel
http://support.intel.com/design/moth...2/ad2_bios.htm

linux uses completely different drivers then windows so you will not be able to use that CD.

http://support.intel.com/support/graphics/linux/

There is also information on lan drivers too.

i asked abt. formatting my harddisk 'coz it is of 40GB but when i want to install any Linux OS(say mandrake) it detects that 37 GB is free...Yes, even after i choose to erase the entire disk option? & i erased the Windows XP from my disk ages ago...
what the exact reason?