How do I format a hard drive with Ubuntu installed on it?

Question

I have an IBM Thinkpad that had Windows XP installed on it, but it crashed. As a result, I ended up installing Ubuntu on it until I could find my Windows XP installations cd.

Now that I've found it, I'm running into problems installing Windows back on it, so I'm thinking that I need to format the harddrive. But I'm not very experienced in Ubuntu or Linux. Can someone show me how to reformat a harddrive with Ubuntu?

Answer 1

if you are doing a clean install to XP, just make sure the laptop boots to the CD-ROM first.



each computer is different, but either F2 or DEL keys should enter you to BIOS and check which drive is read first.



if the CD-ROM is the first boot, the computer should enter the XP setup and do a format from there.

Answer 2

be sure you have an entire installation CD and stuff, insert the CD into yourcontinual, and restart your computing gadget. in the experience that your BIOS is desperate to load CDs till now your troublesomecontinual, it is going to immediately come across the Ubuntu installation and ask you to proceed. i'm surprisingly beneficial Ubuntu has a homestead windows application additionally, so which you basically insert the CD below homestead windows and run the setup software. it make it easier to try Ubuntu with out putting in or formatting or something first, then provide you the choice to quickly after. regardless of the reality that, i've got self belief I could say while you're having this plenty worry already, you probable should not be formatting something...

Answer 3

Follow the process to format hard drive with Ubuntu installed on it:



Step 1 Collect information about your new hard drive. In a terminal window, run:

sudo lshw -C disk

If Ubuntu has detected your hard drive, you will see all sorts of information about it. Make sure to note the "logical name" (the unique file system location Ubuntu has assigned to your new drive).



Step 2 Start gparted from "System" > "Administration" > "Partition Editor" (sometimes labeled "GNOME Partition Editor"). In the top right corner, select your new hard drive by its logical name.



Step 3 Check the settings for the disk. Make the partition size the maximum allowable, and check the "Primary Partition" box.



Step 4 Choose the drive format based on your usage. If you will only be using the drive in Linux, choose "ext3." If you plan to use the drive in Windows as well, choose "FAT32."



Step 5 Click "Apply."

Answer 4

You need to boot from the XP cd and select command prompt then type /format c:

Wiidows should format the hd when installing XP by itself.