Uninstalling Linux Red Hat 7.3 - help!

**celestina** · May 6th, 2003, 02:03 PM

Hello, all!

We have a server with 4 HDs with 40Gb each, with Linux Red Hat 7.3 installed. We want to install Windows 2000 Server. To do, we'd have to format the HDs... but it's harder than we thought.

The problem is that we haven't installed this Linux ourselves, so we can't be sure how it was installed in each of these HDs. We also have very little knowledge of Linux, and we are struggling to make the change. All the while, our network is down (but they were the ones who wanted to change, so I can't be blamed! I told them I lacked the expertise, they didn't believe me...

First, we used fdisk but it didn't work.

We tried the Linux Mandrake 9 setup CD in order to uninstall the partition. Theoretically, we managed to erase the partition, but we have been unable to create another primary partition with FAT32.

The error message is that it can't format, and the HD size is reported as being 38.16.16Mb (? what's that supposed to mean?).

Does anyone have any idea? Is there any software that I could do for this? How could we make Windows 2000 Server run, is there any tip on uninstalling Linux RedHat that I should know?

**Centurion** · May 6th, 2003, 02:32 PM

First - I take that you have backed up this before stumbling into this!

Next - my experience is on stand alone machines - and small lans.
My RH7.3 is a penta boot system - but I installed it 4 times as a stand alone Harddrive.

Do you have disk partitioning software like - Partion Magic - or can you grab a disk long enough to get this done.

Fdisk and delete all partions should do it - but I remember having an awful time once.

Format back to Fat 32 and them boot your W2k server disk - You may have to check the bios of the server to make sure it will boot off a CD.

W2K has disk tools on it - and will format when you get to it.

Centurion

**celestina** · May 6th, 2003, 02:50 PM

I'll try Partition Magic, and tell you how it went.

The problem is that I couldn't creat a partition - that is, it creates a 10Mb partition, out of 4HDs! So I can't even run W2K disk, because it says that I don't have enough space on my HD.

No, wait, I did a complete backup, my stupidity does know boundaries!

**Germ** · May 6th, 2003, 03:06 PM

What brand of HDD? Could you go to the manufacturer's website and download their hard drive tools? Maxtor, for instance, has PowerMax which will return the disk to original factory shipped spec.

**herura** · May 6th, 2003, 03:11 PM

I would start by physically removing all but one disk from the system, boot windows 2000 off the cd and follow the instructions. You will have the option of deleteing, creating and formatting the partitions that windows needs. After you have installed windows 2000, install the other disks and launch disk manager. From there you can delete, create and format the other disks.

**grandchehaw** · May 6th, 2003, 03:11 PM

If you have a complete backup and just want to wipe the HD's I would suggest creating a boot disk and then download delpart.exe. Just do a search for it on google. Delpart is a very small and simple program. It doesn't care what kind of file system is on the hard drive. It will remove all contents off the HD. Then just boot off the Win2K CD and partition the HD's.

**tarpat1** · May 6th, 2003, 03:17 PM

Did you do a fdisk /mbr or just fdisk? fdisk /mbr will remove lilo from the Master Boot Record which will allow you to re-create the partitions.

**implexant** · May 6th, 2003, 03:28 PM

wipe the MBR. then you have a "blank" HD that can be repartioned, formated, ect, all from the win2k server setup.

-Chris

**Centurion** · May 6th, 2003, 03:28 PM

tarpat1 - that is what I forgot the first time around -exactly- I spent a night reloading the software - and recreating the glitch just to make sure that it was the problem.

**celestina** · May 6th, 2003, 03:30 PM

Excellent suggestions! I'll be working on this tomorrow and let you know.

Brand of HDD? I'll have to open to find out, I was so frustrated earlier this morning that I don't feel like touching this machine today.

herura and grandchehaw: First I'll try to run this delpart program (sounds easy!), and then I'll think of removing three of the HDDs. Good idea.

tarpat1: yep, fdisk /mbr. And it didn't do great good, I'm afraid.

It said that the action was completed, but then, there was that weird partition again...

**implexant** · May 6th, 2003, 03:40 PM

Here are instructions on how to effectively clear the MBR so partions are deleted.

http://www.softcom.net/users/fdamico/clear_mbr.htm

good luck to you!

-Chris

**lynchmob** · May 7th, 2003, 04:41 AM

Good stuff,implexant!

Could make that into a *.bat
lynch

**implexant** · May 7th, 2003, 09:05 AM

never really thought about that

thanks for the idea lynchmob!

-Chris

**celestina** · May 8th, 2003, 12:00 PM

And the saga continues...

We used a program that we had at hand, called "HARD DISK PARTITIONER" (a Partition Magic lookalike), and it was succesful at erasing the partition.

We tried many formatting methods, and they are able to report the presence of the HDDs, but when we try to partition, it says that the HDDs are not there. That happened will all of the programs we tried, and that was a few.

We have finally erased the partition, but at the BIOS setup it is displayed that the HDDs are within RAID slots. That's all fine and dandy, but at the W2000 installation the setup can't find the HDDs, because it looks for IDE slots. At IDE we have a CD-ROM and a zip drive.

At the RAID management interface we can see the four HDDs, one is specified as being "bootable array 1, raid mode/mirror stripe, capacity 79999Mb, functional". That is not even right (our HDDs have 40Gb), but at least it indicates that one HD should be bootable. However, that's not the case.

I couldn't find, at BIOS, an option of how to change from RAID to IDE (and I don't know if this would be desirable). Any insight here?

Did I make myself clear? I can clarify if needed. I'm tired already, yesterday I worked for 12 hours trying to fix this! Thank you for any additional help!