Deleting Patitions After Sort Of Maybe Getting Rid Of Mandrake

[1mck]

Help!
I tried to installing Mandrake Linux, and because my computer is Linux Un-friendly (I also have Knoppix Linux Rescue OS, and I have type in a whole whack of commands just to get it to boot) I tried to uninstall it by doing "the old fdisk." It won't let me delete the partitions, and so I thought that I would be all smart and stuff, and I typed: "fdisk /mbr" to get rid of Mandrake Linux. I was successful in not getting the Mandrake splash screen to load up, but I still can't delete the Partitions!
I found that I did have Partition Magic 7.0 on one of my old disks, and it gives me an error: Init Failed: Error 117 Partition's drive letter cannot be identified.
I am not concerned at all about just wiping out my entire hard drive...in fact, that is exactly what I want to do as I have Drive Image 2002, and I also have everything backed up.
I'd love to be able to screw around and get Mandrake to work, but I just do not have the time starting tomorrow, so I need my entire hard drive for University.

Thanks in advance.

1mck

[KernelPanic]

Why not just use MS fdisk and delete all partitions. (linux will be NON-MSDOS). Create a new FAT partition and use your backup.
But, I really think you should leave the linux partition there for if you want to try again another time.
As for your MBR, you will have to reinstall windows to get it back to the way it was anyway.

[1mck]

Either I'm doing it all wrong, or there's something really screwy going on with fdisk, but I've tried that, and it won't let me do and deletion of any partitions.

Here's the sequence of events for doing the fdisk, and tell me if I'm doing something wrong:

#1)Load up start up disk, blah, blah
#2)It will ask if I want to load windows with CD support...I choose #1 with cd support
#3)It will then be in a:
#4)I type in fdisk
#5)A bunch of menus appear, and I choose the one to delete partitions.
#6)I try to delete the primary partition, but it won't let me if I have the extended dos partition thingy.
#7) I try to delete every partition that is there, and in each and every case I am blocked from doing so.(when I go to the info part to see what partitions that I have, it says that there is 1) C: Primary dos 2) extended dos.....I probably have described this all wrong, but this is what I've remembered...there is something wrong with the partitions, and I can't figure it out)
#8) I then try to control myself from picking up this piece of shit, and throwing it onto the floor, and smashing into a million-jillion-canillion pieces...yes, as you can tell I've thought this part out;)
I can't figure this out, but Windoze is working on this partition (6gigs), and the rest was for the Mandrake Linux, and now it's all screwed up! Yup, Murphy's Law for me!

1mck

[KernelPanic]

You need to do it in the right order:

1) Delete the all the drive letter in the extended dos partition.
2) Delete the Extended dos partition.
3) Delete the primary partition (if you want)

If you have tried this already then please excuse me for being patronising.

[1mck]

I'm trying it out now Ex Eleven/ bOb. I'll let you know if I've been successful;) Thanks!

[nunwithuzi]

too lazy to log out/in sporkme says:

so your boot record is fooked... i give you little to no chance of getting back into that partition...

try this:

install the simplest form of linux you have available.  this may give you access through LILO (since grub failed, try it).  if not, you can mount the win partition and copy the files you hope to save--- to the linux partition.  the safest way: if you have a viable network, save said files to a separate computer (mount samba) and use a linux installer to completely delete all partitions and write a 32-bit winders partition from the installer, then cancel (once the partition info has been blasted) and install your windows.

if it all sucks, well... shoulda left a way out.  YOU WILL LEARN A LOT AND ARE BETTER OFF FOR HAVING FUCKED THIS BITCH UP, I AHVE BEEN THERE

i wish i could be of more help... post as much information as possible bro and we will TRY to help

maybe if you give up on windows?

and i am curious as to how you are posting (unless u said already and i am a drunken moron)

LINUX WILL RUN BEAUTIFULY on your system, and for the cost of shipping you may have a copy (from me to you) of the linux of your choice burned on cd and in your hands... just email me and we can sort out the details.

this has been sporkme

[ September 02, 2002: Message edited by: nun with uzi ]

[1mck]

IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ex Eleven / b0b U R A GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, Crisis over, and I'm back where I wanted to be, and many thanks to everyone for their support!

Tux, you are not patronizing me at all, and I really do appreciate your input. The computer was, for lack of a better term, "FUCKED!" It didn't matter what order, or what I did I was still prevented from deleting anything, or even modifying anything for that matter. I think that everyone should have TechwOrm Boot Disk in their arsenal. It worked great, but for Newbies, like me, it was still kind of daunting because I was never sure that I was doing the right thing.

Sporkme/nun with uzi...I will be probably moving over to Lycoris when I get a new computer, and I appreciate the offer for the disks...Kool! I was able to post because, strangely, the Windoze partition was not affected, so it was working fine, but just only working on 6gigs instead of 10gigs. I'm starting my courses tomorrow, and so I don't have time to learn all about Linux right now, but believe me, I've had enough of Bill, and his croonies for one life time, so I WILL be making the move. This computer is, with out doubt, a piece of shit! I will never ever buy another computer that is a name brand! It's quite strange that my friend has a dumpy 400mhz, with only 64megs of ram, and every version of Linux that he has tried loads up without any problems, and I should know because I was there each time! That's why I snagged the Mandrake disks from him because it was such an easy install, but of course I didn't realize that I'd have to deal with the piece of shit. You wrote, "YOU WILL LEARN A LOT AND ARE BETTER OFF FOR HAVING FUCKED THIS BITCH UP, I AHVE BEEN THERE." You are so right about that!!! I have learned so much as compared to all of my friends who have computers (yeah, they all use Windoze), and they always come to me with their problems, and I can attribute pretty much all of my knowledge to my fuck-ups, and my fucking with the computer in trying to get it to work faster, or just plain trying to get it to work period! Okay, my first experiences with Linux have been a bit disappointing due to the technical problems with the shit box, but I'm sure that as soon as I start to fuck with it that I'll really enjoy it, and hopefully get rid of Windoze.

Anywho, I thank everyone for their input, and help, and as I've stated before I am looking forward to starting into the Linux world. I've already begun with Knoppix, and also by asking you great people about it.

Thanks again,
1mck

[sporkme]

!cool!

glad it worked

same here... most of what i know is from messimng it up

[1mck]

Hey, can you point me towards a tutorial that will take an absolute total Newbie through the Linux world?

Everyone was losing me with Lilo, and Grub, and all the commands, partitioning, Kernels, Root, Compiling...It was way over my head!

Anywho, thanks a million for the program, and all the help:)

1mck

[Master of Reality]

sporkme(Bob) and nun with uzi have sweet fucking signatures.

Nun with Uzi!!! why arent you Bob!!! why hasnt Bob converted you!!! Join us now, bliss awaits you!!! www.bobhub.tk www.bobs.tk www.cultofbob.tk !!!
We are all Bob. You WILL join us!

[RudeCat7]

By the way, when your partitions are really f00ked up, and Fdisk can't delete them...I use the Mandrake installation CD, when it gets to the diskdrake part, I tell it to delete whatever I want, and before I continue with the installation I just reboot. It works.