Hi to all!

I am a novice user of Linux, indeed these days i am doing my first attempt by installing Fedora 5. Unfortunately after installing it, WinXp Pro was allready present on my HD, straight forward i have a first problem.

I try to run Windows Setup from the Installation CD, so i insert the CD into the CDrom and i boot my system. The classic message "Press any key to run setup ... " appears. I am going forward and then a second messages appears "Setup is inspecting your HW configuration ... "

That's it! My system stacks and what i get is only a black screen.

I am 100% sure that there is no problem on my HW configuration but the problem is on the MBR. Probably something messed it up.

I found this thread related to my issue, but i need some help since some points are not so clear to me:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=295701

Inside the thread is present this solution:

Instead of that procedure, since i do not feel yet confident with Linux, if i log into WinXp delete the Fedora partitions using a tool (e.g Acronis Disk Director) and then boot ... do you think that i will be able to enter setup and correct the MBR or i will totally mess up everything ... even windows ?

In this fase i do not mind to delete and re-install fedora since no work is present on it, BUT i dont want to mess up of format my WinXp partition right now since all my job is on that partition ...

Before you go too far with this:
If you have valuable data on the Windows partition--and you have no backup--then you need to consider doing something to secure your data. One option is to clone the disk. Another is to simply go buy a new harddrive and put the other one in a safe place until you get things working.

If the Windows Install CD hangs up while inspecting the HW configuration, this has nothing to do with the mbr.

You did not say if the Fedora install works--can you start up in Fedora?

If the problem is not the MBR, what could be the problem ?

Yes it works, i can start up Fedora as i can start up WinXP. The only problem that i get is stacking when i run the WinXP setup cd.

If you can boot in fedora & in Win XP then problem maybe in your XP install CD, so try another install CD
If you want to remove fedora, then remove GRUB first and then format linux partition from windows
Unfortunately removing GRUB will require XP install CD, get into rescue mode and at command prompt type
> fdisk /mbr to get back windows bootloader
Some people recommend
>fixboot C:
>fixmbr

I tried allready a different CD but the result is the same.
Suppose that i want to remove GRUB, how can i make it ?

Once i remove it, when i will restart the system i suppose it will ask me the installation CD in order to overwrite the MBR. But what can i do if setup will stack again on the "inspecting ur HW ..." message ?

no one can help me ?

Hi Stamos !

Try another monitor, perhaps your computer may work right. Goodluck.

negative! the problem persists ...

Not sure what you are trying to do. If windoze and linux both boot,

If you need to fix a wndoze install then look here.
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm

If you overwrite the MBR with windoze boot loader you won't be able to access linux. Also look here
http://gag.sourceforge.net/