I have windows installed on my computer and want to install Linux too but dont want to loose my data . Should I use partition disk?
125353
Without formatting the hard drive you have two options.  Partition Magic can resize active partitions without having to reformat the exhisting hard drive.  Another option would be to add a second hard drive.\n\nHere is a link with some info on how to modify the XP boot menu to access Linux once it is installed.\n\nhttp://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?p=12988\n\nHoped this helps and have a great day.
652665
Just save all your stuff, your pictures, your files, your music... Put them onto a CD.  Then just insert the boot disk you got when you bought the PC and click next, next, next, next... and it will reinstall windows as if your computer was brand new...\n\nOnce apon a time i totally messed up my PC by installing Linux Mandrake, i just put the CD i got into the computer, restarted it, and it sorted everything out, like, back to normal...\n\nAlso... BUY A MAC!! I have a Mac now.  I used to use PC\ns.  Macs have hardly any viruses and are much faster and more simple to use.
291674
Vmware and using a live distro although very good don't quite run linux to it's full potential, if you really want to try it properly install it as a dual boot with windows, it can always be removed at a later date.
117522
If u r looking got user friendly stick to windows. If u dont have a thorough knowledge of computers u will lost using Linux.
413930
You can run a dual boot with windows and Linux.  You need to partition your hard drive and install windows on one partition and linux on the other.  You may need to change your boot sequence in startup so your pc will boot from Cd-Rom. When your pc starts you can choose which OS you want to run.  Cannot run both at the same time.
275576
No. There is no eay way. Perhaps the easiest is to simply buy another hard disk (if you can actually install one in your hardware) and install a fresh copy of the operating system on it, making it the a new c drive, but this raises some particular issues. Some applications (and many operating systems) require that certain files (configuration stuff, for instance) be on the same drive from which the system has booted (or on which the application is installed). So changing to a new drive like this will involve some obscure issues dependent on not so obvious details of how this or that program (including the operating system) was designed and implemented. \n\n==========\nThere are some things you'll have to think about here, before you do anything at all. I'll assume you aren't going to get a new hard disk, and discuss the problem as you laid it out. Namely, reformatting the existing C drive and reinstalling your system on it. \n\nDo you really need to reformat? You may be able to reinstall Windows over itself, and if a damage Windows file is part of the problem, escape without the major pain of reformatting. \n\n========\nFirst, without the installation CD (or copies of all the files from it) you're sunk. I'm not sure from what you say whether you have a copy of the CD on your second drive or not. If you don't ... Trouble lies that way. \n\nSecond, You must backup everything you have on the C drive that is not reinstalled from the distribution disks. And you must be certain that whatever backup method you choose will be able to actually read the backup formatted files after the reinstallation. It is not unusual, sadly, for some backup programs to be unable to actually read in the backup files it creates. \n"Backup" includes the operating system (Microsoft has dropped support for 98 and for SE, so you would be well advised to update -- my suggestion is to 2000, but some folks are willing to settel for 2000 Lite -- ie, XP. Or even to make this your opportunity to switch to a vendor who poses fewer problems -- the main option as I write this is one of the kind_of_Unixen), Linux -- my favorite is the SuSE distribution). And "backup" includes application files as well. Identifying just which files these are, and where they are is not always easy. Clearly all your pictures and documents you've written and would qualify, but applications (and operating systems) usually have several configuration files, history files, backup files, index files, ... which it will save time to have copes of. But, if an application doesn't provide for saving these and reinstalling them over a fresh installtion of the application, ...  There will be problems here as well. You might have to reconfigure some or all of your applications (and the operating system too) after reinstallation. this is a pain, but may be unavoidable...\n\nThird, you must be certain that any new hardware you've installed will be recognized by the Windows boot routines at reinstallation time. It might be wise to start a reinstallation (with the intent of cancelling it essentially immediately) to test whether the BIOS will call up the Windows installation routines from wherever they are, and whether they will be able to find the new hardware. Since hardware support (ie, drivers and design troubleshooting) for 98SE has mostly been dropped, increasingly more hardware will not be supported for 98SE.  Without support, you'll have to write your own drivers -- not recommended.\n\nFourth, you must, when reinstalling, configure your software in ways which are compatible with how they used to be configured, lest there be odd (perhaps fatal) happenings from the incompatibilites. Some things don't matter -- like icon colors or the shape of the cursor, but some will.\n\nFifth, keep a record of what you did and why at each step of the way, starting before you begin backing up. Include all instructions (and options) and the immediate re
32157
Most major distros of Linux will take care of partitioning and create a dual-boot automatically.  Download your distro and burn to CDs. Defrag your hard drive in Windows.  Shutdown.  Set your BIOS to boot from CD.  Boot from CD1.  Linux will suggest a partitioning.  Accept it or modify it to suit your needs.  Then, just answer a few prompts and insert the rest of the CDs when asked.  Couldn't be easier.
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Once you repartition and/or reformat your files will be deleted. There might be a way to retrieve your files using a commercial service but it will cost you an arm, a leg and an internal organ. Hopefully, you won't miss those body parts. \n\nGet/create a bootable linux CD. Linux doesn't use BIOS to detect and access HDs, the kernel does it. A linux boot should be able to detect the drive, possibly allowing you to mount it and get the data.\n\nDownload and burn this to a CD. Doing so will create for you a bootable Linux CD:\nhttp://ubuntu.cs.utah.edu/releases/5.10/ubuntu-5.10-live-i386.iso\n\nAs long as the drive is readable you should be able to get your data off. It all depends on what's wrong with the drive.
434843
Download the free linux distro Slax. The newest version is 5.18 \nand you can download it from this site: http://www.slax.org/download.php\n\nits free and all you have to do is burn it to a cd as an image with a program like Nero and then restart your computer with the cd in the cd drive. Your computer will boot into linux and when everything is finished loading use the user name "root" and the password "toor" without quotes. After that the slax desktop should appear and then you can click on Konqueror which will be on the bottom left and you will see all the drives on your computer. You can copy files from NTFS drives with slax but you cant edit them.
267748
Easy use Killdisk wipe just the C partition.  Then let Windows setup format it in NTFS and prceed with Install.see sources
270032
Unless you are very good with Linux you should keep a NTFS partition with XP installed. You can always resize your partition later if you decide you don't need XP. Since you have a COA for XP and it would not hurt to have it on your drive for while.\nI would recommend...\n\nPartition 1 Linux 40Gb\nPartition 2 XP    20Gb\nPartition 3 Data  60Gb\n\nI have and like Digital Dolly 1.0. It is a freeware drive utility.
564772
People have mentioned to install Linux.\n\nBut the thing is that when you install programs it might not be so FisherPrice if you know what I mean.\n\nIt is quite hard, and Linux isn't just Linux.\nThere are soo many different types,\nFedora Core, Ubunta, Debian, Mandrake, SUSE,Red Hat(which is gone[and No USB support]), and Knoppix and the list goes on.\n\nIt depends really on what you want to do with your computer, is which Linux distribution you would want to install is Debian because it known for it's ease in installing other 3rd party programs to do your odds and ends i.e. converting mp3s blah blah blah. \n\nIf you want to still use your windows products there is a program for linux called Wine which means Windows Emulator, emulates alot of programs nicely. \n\nBest of all Linux's are free, except for Enterprise editions which you have to pay monthly.
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If you want to completely wipe out Linux, then do the following.  \n\n1. Back up any files in linux first.  If you don't care,\nskip this step.\n\n2. Get a Windows installation CD, pop it in, and \nrestart your computer.\n\n3. Follow the instructions on the screen.\n\nNow, in reality, it could be a lot more complicated\nthan this but this should give you a start.\n\nGood luck.\n\nMahurshi Akilla
47865
Have you got any data on the drive you want to keep ?\n\nIf not just make a boot disk ( www.bootdisk.com ) and use fdisk to partition the drive and then install windows.\n\nIf you do have data then I suggest you connect the hard drive to another machine as a slave and back it up and then put it back into the machine and format it and re install windows.\n\nThere are other ways of backing up the data, please post back and let me know if you need further help.
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Even if you delete the Linux partition in Windows you'll still have LILO or GRUB as your bootloader.\n\nGoto Bootdisk.com and get the bootdisk for XP. And format a floppy with that program you get from it. Then leave it in and reboot. Once in dos you just need to type FIXMBR and that should remove the Linux boot loader.
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Linux and Windows XP are both operating systems, so you use one instead of the other.  Linux isn't a program that can be installed on Windows XP.\n\nIf you want to try Ubuntu Linux without installing it, try one of the Live CDs (simple) or download vmware or virtual pc and run  Ubuntu inside a virtual machine (complicated).  See sources, below, for info on both options
80135
You can use a linux live CD to format almost any partition scheme you want (live meaning that the OS runs off of a CD), here is one I use regularly, it has saved my computer/data several times, you will need a CD burner, and burning software that can burn .ISO disc image files (like NERO, or Record Now!):\nhttp://slax.linux-live.org/\n\nIf you want to completely wipe/zero out your hard drive, you can use this software (note that your hardrive will be completely erased, and all data on it will be unrecoverable, even by the best professionals):\nhttp://dban.sourceforge.net/\n\n............AND\ngojurokusai, I know what you are talking about, what it is saying, is that if you have formated a drive as NTFS, you cannot change it back to FAT32 without loosing data, however, you can "upgrade" your EXISTING FAT32 to NTFS without loosing any data, not to say that you cannot completely erase/reformat a NTFS partition, however you will loose all data... But with the proper tools, you can now go back to FAT32 from NTFS...\n\nWhich brings up a good point, if your willing to cough up about 40-60$, you can easily do about anything, with any kind of partition you can imagine, this is probably the easiest route to go, The utility is "Partition Magic", and it is made by "Norton/Symantec". Here is a link to the product:\nhttp://www.symantec.com/home_homeoffice/products/system_performance/pm80/index.html\n\n..and if that don't help you, PRAY!\n\nBest of Luck!