Hi - I am very new to Linux. I have set up a dual boot system on my desktop with Windows XP home / Linux RedHat 9.0, and it all works fine. What would happen if I now deleted the Linux partitions, including the boot partition? Would the system revert to booting into XP automatically? Or would my system refuse to boot into anything? This is in order to move towards installing Linux only on my laptop, and XP only on my desktop. Any help much appreciated.
Mike

The answer to your question depends on whether your boot loader is GRUB or LILO. If you are using GRUB, that depends on files that are on your Linux partition. If you delete them then your computer will not boot anything. If you are using LILO, that software has everything that it needs to boot already in the boot disk's MBR. If you delete the Linux partition you would still be able to boot Windows.

If you want to go back to the Windows boot loader you can boot the Windows recovery console and run the fixboot and/or the fixmbr utilities.

All boot loaders can be restored if you have the system.

To restore XP's MBR Task B1 or B2 in the last link of my signature refer. Once you are booting to XP you can delete the Linux partition by it disk management program.

If the suggestions above don't work, and if you have the XP installation CD, then you can just reinstall XP in to the linux partition and it will pick up the original XP installation as a boot option. Restart the pc and choose the original XP entry, then when inside you can go to...

well here's when i forget, but if you right click on the My Computer icon you can get to some boot / startup options and you can edit them so they only contain the entry for the original XP.

benerivo,

That is a wild story to me. Can you enlighten me with an example, a link or a reference?

Okay, but first i'll clarify that by "reinstall xp in to the linux partition", i mean in an empty partition (that linux used to occupy) as the OP suggested.
I have done it myself when I accidentally deleted the linux partition whilst in XP. I reinstalled XP on to the (now) empty space and when i booted i had two XP options, similar to the setup this guy below found himself with - except my XP's were listed as being in different partitions, and this guy had a boot loader showing XP twice from the same partition.

http://www.grosse.is-a-geek.com/pcpl...6sd/hd206.html...scroll to bottom

Your much better off using dd or bootitng to wipe the Linux partitions with zeros, then boot to the XP CD and fixmbr (which only takes two minutes), then use a utility like bootitng (under no obligation) to resize the XP partition back to using the full disk.
EDIT: Then, trash Red Hat 9 and get a more modern Linux for the laptop. You'll be pulling your hair out trying to install RH9 on a SATA drive if that's what the laptop has.

The easiest way to delete GRUB and get your original MBR is to download RescueCD (Linux Flavor) pop it in and then press F2 or F3 and then type GAG in the command line. Follow the instructions on the screen, should be option 3 I think, and replace the MBR. By doing this you will get rid of GRUB and will be able to safely boot back into your windows partition. Not only that but the RescueCD is great for any and all computer software repairs. I hope this helps if not contact me with whats going on, and I will try my best to help you out.