my goodness - did you know that devices start with "/", as in /dev/hda (e.g., fdisk /dev/hda)

what OS have you been using up to now?????

are you quite sure you don't what to try the CD install procedure described above?

BTW, as shown on your fdisk -l, you do not need to install anything (assuming the partitions shown are properly populated),just make a boot diskette.

As I said, I been using windows all my life.. I am a COMPLETE I feel REALLY dumb now. but thanks for clearing that up. the whole "/" thing... lol. I feel like dying. but thanks.

Try /dev/hda instead

Cheers,
Tink

As i have said, *nix has the right slant on directory names.

i would prefer a nice ":" delimiter, myself...

Okay, im trying to delete everything, but nothing happening. I know you all must be laughing at me or be getting very annoyed, but what else can I say, I know nothing about this, and with out your help I am truly stuck. heres what I did..

[moroccan@cpe00055df387a8-cm014110216098 moroccan]$ cd..
[moroccan@cpe00055df387a8-cm014110216098 home]$ cd..
[moroccan@cpe00055df387a8-cm014110216098 /]$ su
[root@cpe00055df387a8-cm014110216098 /]# cd sbin
[root@cpe00055df387a8-cm014110216098 sbin]# fdisk /dev/hda1

The number of cylinders for this disk is set to 1246.
There is nothing wrong with that, but this is larger than 1024,
and could in certain setups cause problems with:
1) software that runs at boot time (e.g., old versions of LILO)
2) booting and partitioning software from other OSs
(e.g., DOS FDISK, OS/2 FDISK)

Command (m for help): d
Partition number (1-4): 1
Warning: partition 1 has empty type

Command (m for help): d
Partition number (1-4): 2
Warning: partition 2 has empty type

Command (m for help): d
Partition number (1-4): 3
Warning: partition 3 has empty type

Command (m for help): d
Partition number (1-4): 4
Warning: partition 4 has empty type

Command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered!

Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.

WARNING: Re-reading the partition table failed with error 16: Device or resource busy.
The kernel still uses the old table.
The new table will be used at the next reboot.
Syncing disks.
[root@cpe00055df387a8-cm014110216098 sbin]#

Then I go to load windows from CD.. and it says it finds files that are non-ms dos, asks me to remove the files, I say ok. and it says there is an insufficient memory error and I must press the any key to continue... so I press the 'any key' and I have to reboot.

I tired followin tinksters directions, but I dont know what im doing wrong. once again, sorry & thanks.

Hey u being a newbie why go through all the trouble of using fdisk when u can do the same using the MDK CD1 , when it comes to the point of selecting mount points u can use the custom partitioning option and selectively create or delete partions,
u can create a fat32 partition for ur windoze and ext3+swap for ur linux
Ofcourse this implies that u r doing a fresh install

Cyberswami has the right idea.
Boot your Mandrake install CD and select "Expert Install", when you get to the "DiskDrake" utility use it to manipulate your existing linux partition, the interface is similar to Partition Magic. You can shrink your drake partition and create a fat32 partition in front of it, DON'T format your linux partitions, when you've finished cancel the install and reboot with the win98 CD, install windows and then reboot with the Mandrake install CD again, this time select "Expert Upgrade", from there you can reconfigure mandrake to dual boot and update your fstab.

The problem I had with that, was when I tried using DiskDrake to make a windows partition, it wouldnt let me mount a FAT32 to root. It says I have to have a journalized drive, a swap drive, and then from there I can make a FAT32... but the journalized drive has to be root.

So I tried mounting the would-be windows partition to the /mnt/windows position, but that wont work.

When I load windows, it says it finds files that are non-ms dos, it asks me to remove them, so I say okay, then it says there is an insufficient memory error and I am forced to reboot.

Do you have anything on the computer that you need to keep?

No... I have nothing that i want/need. I just want to get windows on my computer any way possible. (I know thats probably like blasphemy around here, but the reason is I am just in over my head with this linux)

Ok, follow the same steps and when you get to DiskDrake delete all the partitions, then cancell the install and reboot with the windows CD, it should then detect an empty drive and prompt you to format etc..

Okay, I'll give it a shot and let you know how it went in the morning. thanks for your help.

Your welcome, let us know how it goes.

hey Moroccan(forgive the lengthy post but please read),

u can never mount ur mdk9.1 root ("/") on a FAT32 partition, u have to mount it on a linux native partition(ext2,ext3.....).u have to have seperate partitions for windoze and linux,

if u really want to mount ur linux on a fat32 partition i recommend u use mdk8.1, as far as i can remember there is a boot install option called "lnx4win" in the 8.1 version of mandrake, else u have to make a ext2 or ext3 partition to mount ur "/".

also when u create the fat32 partition don't mount it as "/" but use another mount name e.g /mnt/windows_c , this won't give u any errors , once the partition has been written on ur partition table , just restart ur system don't continue then put windoze boot floppy and format that particular partition and install,

but if u really don't want linux just erase all the partitions by deleting them in disk druid(said in the previous post), create fat partitions, mount them in different name , apply the changes and reboot, install windoze