im using mandrake 9.2 and i want windows back because i feel that it is better for what i use my comptuer for. so i put in my reformatting discs and i get this thing about having to reformat my hard drive so im like ok thats fine and then it requests something about the A:\> drive and i dont have any disketes and none of the other drive commands work. my computer is useless now. linux isnt as great as i thought it would be, it lags its horrible and things uninstall themselves my desktop changes i hate it. theres no way to get windows back now either i dont think.

Lets start over.
What reformatting disks are you refering to?

Is this a linux only PC?

pop in your windows install cd and boot from that.

if all you have is an upgrade cd, then you may have issues

I have had to do this many times. Please let us know what version of windows you are using. It sounds like you are using 98 or ME.
Thanks

sorry for the late response linux deleted my mail programs. anyway. this is what i have a master recovery disc and a companion cd when i boot with the master recovery cd in i get something about the a:\> drive but i dont have any floppy discs. and when i boot with the companion cd in i get something about calibrating my cd drive or something. please someone help me i really need to fix my computer.

ps. i am running windows 98 well i was.

pps. - this is a windows 98 designed computer. not a linux only pc.

i dont have an install cd. the blue disc says that it has the windows installation files on it but i dont think its the same as if i bought the cd from the store.

when they say "linux only" they mean did you dual boot or have linux solo?
and: when you installed linux, did you use the "on top of windows" option? that could be why it was slow.
Don't freak out, I have had to completely reformat several times now, I survived. Go into the BIOS, set the boot order to have the CD drive first. then put the win 98cd in, turn off your box and turn it on again. should install win 98 fine.
Oh, and I'm sorry that your linux experiance was bad, but keep in mind that the only OS specific computers were the mainframes.

titanium_geek

Also, what brand is your computer?

its ok linux isnt a bad OS its just one that i dont care for. and yes i did make my computer a Linux Only pc. i chose to delete windows (stupid decision i found out). and if you couldnt tell by the discs i have an NEC. the full model name is NEC Ready 9000

Alrigh, do what titanium_geek said and set your computer to boot off the cdrom. It sounds like it may already be set correctly. So, put the cd in that has the windows files on it, and boot up your computer. If you get any errors, please give us an exact description of the problem.
I myself think that Linux is a great OS, but people have different tastes for computers just like they do food.

k ill try booting off of the cd, i just dont care for linux personally, but it is obviously a good os since so many people use it.

when i put in the blue cd ( the one with the windows installation files) on it i get this i didnt hit anything and then it went though this thing where it scans the hard drive motherboard etc and then i got this screen, it stayed on that for a while but then i pressed a key and it brought me back to this

what was i supposed to do at that diagnostics code screen?
type in something? if so what?

what else could i do

I would try pressing "1", and if that doesn't do anything, try them one by one.
Thanks for the exact info!