I have a slightly unusual problem. I already got Fedora Core 4 installed on my 80GB hard drive. Now I bought a Window XP professional OEM and want to install on my system to make it dual a dual boot system.

I know how to do it other way round viz., installing Linux on a Window system. But ironically I have to do the other way this time.

I tried to boot from the Window CD (bios is et to boot first from CD) but Window would not boot automatically in the FC4 system (skin remains blank). So I am stuck and do not know how to proceed. I don't mind completely erasing the FC4 and reinstalling it again once the Window XP is installed. Again I do not know how to uninstall FC4.

Please help.

This is only a suggestion - as I have never had to do this before, and would have to beat on it for a day to figure it out....

Why don't you install wine in FC4 - and try to run the install that way?
It would be cool as hell to have a full working windows install in your ~/.wine/ folder.

Another idea - would be to use it to create an image file - and run it with QEmu....
Still waiting for some Win support in Xen....

The problem with installing Windows on a Linux system is that the Windows bootloader won't acknowledge Linux. So you won't be able to go into Linux again. If you figure out a way to uninstall Fedora, do that. Then install Windows first, and Fedora after that.

Hope this helps

-A

Well, no, that isn't true. The windows bootloader can easily be configured to recognize Linux.
I've done it a million times - and I'll be more than happy to tell you how if you like....

Thanks for all the thoughts. But can anybody tell me why Window XP is not autorunning when I start the system. The CD is fine as I tested it in a different window system. Also, how to uninstall FC4. Is their a way to physically completely wipe the hard disk out, perhaps, by jumper setting or something.

Use fdisk to delete all partitions. Then repartition.
I did it before, but I dont recall the exact steps. I remembered that DOS fdisk had problem removing some linux partitions. Somehow, I got linux fdisk and it worked.

wiped your system out, you might try repartitioning using the Ranish partition manager (freeware I believe, google should point you in the right direction). If you know which partition that LINUX has set up as your ´/home/´ partition, you might try resizing this (it is the 6th of 6 partitions that Mandrake 10.1 set up on my 40 Gigger, and by FAR the largest. I am thinking that if you are willing to wipe your entire system, you have nothing to lose by attempting to guess how much of this may still be untouched, as I would not expect LINUX to be writing anything towards the end of the partition until it is actually FULL. So, I guess depending on how LONG you have been using your existing installment.... Unfortunately, I do not know of a DEFRAGMENTING utility that is available for LINUX, so how long you have been using this is important)

If you haven´t been using your current installation for very long and you have an appreciably large HD, you would probably be safe in repartitioning the last 1/3, maybe even 1/2 of your home partition as NTFS. Then your bootable windows XP should be able to recognize your new ´device' as being one that it can install on.

BTW, you are correct about the DOS fdisk having... problems with unusual configurations at times. For instance, I have noticed that the Ranish manager has the ability to place a Master Boot Record on an HD that the DOS fdisk will fail to wipe out. As another point of reference, in a pinch I have used the FDISK that comes on Tom´s Root Boot (once again, google search this) with a limited amount of success, at least when trying to wipe stuff out

may have misunderstood what you were saying initially. Am I to understand that you are NOT even able to boot from the XP cd, and have it tell you that there are no devices available to install on? You should at least be able to do that. If you are not able to do that at least, is it possible that your CD drive is no longer configured as a startup device in your system configuration? (Different for every type of PC, if you don´t have your original system manuals around so that you can look this up, Google can be very helpful. For example, Ctrl-Alt-Enter right as my computer is booting allows me to change this on my Dell)

BTW my last post should still apply, and Ranish conveniently includes its own boot manager that should allow you to use your new operating system

If you don't mind shelling out the cash, VMWare allows you to run different operating systems as virtual machines within Linux. I use it for the instances where I need to use Windows so I don't have to bother with dual booting. You literally fire up VMWare, put your Windows cd in the drive and click "Power on OS." The entire Windows installation process occurs in a window on your Linux desktop. It's an interesting thing to see.

(And I only need Windows for school. Evidently, it is impossible to get a degree without Windows XP anymore.)

VMWare also has more than just MS compatibiliy. It runs most Linux distros as well, allowing you to preview them first if you're so inclined. Also works with the BSD's, Netware, and a few others I believe.

The only downside is that it isn't free, which can be a pretty big downside.

Thanks for all the ideas. I finally managed to delet the linux partitions using fdisk (I did not mind that as I have not had any data - it was a new fedora instalation). Then I installed Window XP partioning the disk into 2. Then I installed the FC4 again - the CD booted perfectly and instlled itself in the free space leaving the window OS intact. So now I have a dual boot system with GRUB bootloader (configured by FC) which allow me the option to go to either OS. The reason I want Window is that I bought a OEM copy of it at a reasonable price and thought it is good to have both.

Continuing the theme, I am quite intrigued by the ability of VMWare (for that matter Crossover office) and Wine. While Wine is free (GNU) the other two are not. Once committed to FOSS it is quite difiicult to buy product to be used on Linux that restrict you to only one machine only (i.e., Crossover office, I do not know about VMWare licence). Thertefore, Wine is quite attractive but again I do not know how user friendly it is.