need help setting windows xp as default boot
 

hello linux community.

i had to delete linux off of my other computer for my mom because she is not intellectually capable of scrolling down to dos in the grub menu.

windows xp was preinstalled and then linux red hat 9 was installed using disk druid's default disk partitioning settings.

i deleted the linux partion using partition magic and the problem is that it now only boots to a grub command line. (not the grub menu, its like the grub program command line) and none of the commands work because it says kernal must be loaded before booting.

I then decided to go back into partition magic and merged the unallocated partion (that used to be linux but i deleted it) into the ntfs partion. The same problem still exists though.

can somebody help me set windows xp as the default boot, and get it booting to windows xp.

( and please note that despite my use of computer jargon i am surprisingly new to linux and computers. If you choose to help me please be specific and thorough, otherwise you would probably be wasting your time.)

thank you very much.

get an XP boot disk with fdisk on it. boot and run "fdisk /MBR".

thanks but i dont know how to create a boot disk with fdisk on it.

will anyone tell me?

As acid_kewpie said, running a "fdisk /MBR" will overwrite the grub boot loader and complete your Linux de-installation (a tragic thing, to be sure... ;-))

On the other hand, if you were KEEPING Linux and simply wanted to make Windows the default (instead of the ONLY) boot, you'd do this instead:

su - root
vi /etc/grub.conf
<= CHANGE THE DEFAULT FROM "0" TO "1" (OR WHATEVER YOUR WINDOWS BOOT # IS)

lol, i had a brain fart i guess. i should definitely have asked how to change the default before i went ahead and deleted the partition.

okay. i made the windows xp ms dos bootable disk. i type fdisk /MBR and it says bad command or file name.

please help me.

Try fdisk /mbr

no go.

the xp boot disk doesnt have fdisk on it, so it doesn't recognize it as a command. how can i get a boot disk with fdisk on it?

Try making a boot floppy. If that doesn't have it either, see if you can't get a friend with an older system to make you one that does. Or look around for "rescue CDs" or whatnot, many of those (even if they are Linux ones) include things to restore the MBR (even the Mandriva install CD has it). Good luck.

this is basic windows stuff... we're linux geeks... i'm sure you can work it out.

OK - don't worry about fdisk. It falls in the category of "If you have to ask, you don't need it."

Do this instead:
1. If you want dual-boot Linux and Windows, install Windows and leave a free partition.
Do a full install of Windows (on everything except your 2nd, free partition).
Follow this with a full install of Linux (it will auto-detect and use the free partiition)

2. Otherwise, if you just want Windows:
Do a full install of Windows. Use the whole disk. You're done.

Sound like a plan?

Hi !

If you have a Windows XP installation cd, boot your computer whith the cd.

Now, Windows XP installation program starts. After some time the program stops, and you can type R. Now you get into the Recovery Concole. Follow the instructions and you will get a dos-prompt. Here write: fixmbr. Now a new Master Boot Record is created which overwrite the old one, and your computer will start into Windows XP from now on.

I will add: You will get into the Recovery Console before the xp installation program have done any installation. So, it will not touch your old Wndows xp installation.

thank you very much thort. seriously i will prey the lord watch over you!

(i will add: i know that the installation doesn't begin until you tell it to install lol)

And if, for whatever reason, you *did* want to make a boot disk (with "format", "fdisk", and similar Pop Favorites from the dark past of MS-DOS), there are any number of sites you can go to. For example:

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm