Reformatting c drive and booting with linux?

You actually do not need the Windows XP disk to format your hard drive.

My understanding is this: Any Linux OS will reformat the drive when it installs (if installed over the previous operating system).While you have your Windows XP operating system running it is a good idea to download and burn a Linux boot cd/dvd (or you can order one online).

A good distribution of Linux is Ubuntu (Found here: http://www.ubuntu.com/ )

You will need a blank cd/dvd and a cd/dvd burner to create the disk.

Download the appropriate distribution for your computer (32bit/64bit) and burn the iso to a disk.

You will need a third party program such as Active Iso Burner (Found here: http://www.ntfs.com/iso-burning.htm )

After burning the ISO to disk, pop it into your drive and restart your computer.

When the disk fully loads you will be given options for boot, choose the one that suits your needs.

Try Ubuntu: Lets you see the OS without making changes to your computer

(You can install from this from an icon on the desktop)

Install: Begins the installer

Follow the wizard's instructions to suit your personal needs.

If you have any questions just send me a message via yahoo mail and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

(Also if you want to look up a few how to videos check http://www.youtube.com/ and see if anyone has made one.)

(Update: I am at work right now and do not have access to youtube or any site with streaming media through the company firewall, I will post a link this evening when I am at my personal computer)

All you will need to do is get your hands on a linux install CD or DVD and pop it in.

1). Pick a distribution that you want to try (Ubuntu is a good easier-to-use one to start with).

2). Go to their website (on any computer) and download the ISO of their install disc

3). Burn the image to a CD or DVD.

4). Put that CD/DVD into the laptop you want to install to and boot off the disc.

5). The setup should walk you through the install from there. It will give you an option of repartitioning and reinstalling the drive.

Good luck!

What distro of linux do you want to use? Some like Ubuntu allow you to reformat from the disc. You just put it in and reformat the partitions and then select the one you want to use. There's no need to uninstall windows, formatting will remove it along with everything else on the hard-drive.

The link below will help you select a version of linux to install. If you go to the website of the linux distro it will have instructions on how to burn the iso, install, run and maintain linux. Check the linux users manual.

Good luck

Use Ubuntu, it has it's own partitioning tool from where you can do the format.

So you won't be needing the XP install CD.

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