want to remove mbr on hdd
 

help!
i was using rhl 9 . i recently got fedora4 and formatted my 20 gb harddisk using fdisk in DOS to install it.i also deleted all the partitons. now i just learned that fc4 is incompatible with my sysstem.i want to reinstall rhl9.

on start of installation procedure , it says the mbr is still there and exits.
i want to remove mbr so that i can reinstall rhl9 . how can it be removed!!!!!
:cry: :cry: :cry:
help!!!

you don't need to remove anything, it'll overwrite it as part of the install.

U do not have to reinstall linux if your grub is lost especially due to windows installation.

just follow these easy STEPS and hope u will recover:

step 1: Insert bootable cd-I or DVD of your linux
step 2: Type: linux rescue
step 3: Follow instructions for keyboard and language settings

Then you will see the shell prompt

step 4: Type: chroot /mnt/sysimage
step 5: Type: grub

now you will get the grub prompt as grub>

step 6: Type: root (hd0,5) // hd0 means harddisk 1. if you have on HDD 2 you need to type hd1 and so on. later number (5) implies partition of selected harddisk where you have linux installed previously. It varies with machine enter the partition where you have your linux partition.
step 7: setup (hd0) // same HDD as before, its hd1 if your linux is in 2nd harddisk

now exit from the grub and from the shell too. After restarting your grub gets recovered, hopefully :D.

If you really want to clean your hard drive the way it came from the factory--no MBR, no partitions, no operating systems, no programs, no data, nothing--you need a zero-fill program. My favorite is DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke), google for it. It downloads to a floppy or CD and has a setting where you only zero-fill, not overwrite several times.