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Thread: Reformatting Ubuntu

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2008
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    86

    Exclamation Reformatting Ubuntu

    I have to go back to Windows for awhile. I tried booting up my Windows XP cd and I got an error saying no previous versions of Windows were detected and there was a disk read error. I think my disk is fine and I believe this is because I have Ubuntu on my HD. How can I reformat Ubuntu and make my hard drive clean/empty?

    Thanks

  2. #2

    Re: Reformatting Ubuntu

    Let's check your partitions:

    Code:
    sudo fdisk -l
    Small L, then Copy and paste the results.
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  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Beans
    86

    Re: Reformatting Ubuntu

    Quote Originally Posted by Sef View Post
    Let's check your partitions:

    Code:
    sudo fdisk -l
    Small L, then Copy and paste the results.
    Code:
    Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
    255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
    Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
    Disk identifier: 0x20962096
    
       Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
    /dev/sda1   *           1       29644   238115398+  83  Linux
    /dev/sda2           29645       30401     6080602+   5  Extended
    /dev/sda5           29645       30401     6080571   82  Linux swap / Solaris

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Williams Lake
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    Hidden!
    Distro
    Ubuntu Development Release

    Re: Reformatting Ubuntu

    It looks like you don't have a winxp partition any more. To install xp boot from your CD and let it go through all the things it has to until it gets to the partition screen. Just delete the partitions that are already there and the you can set up your partitions any way you want.

    Jim

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Beans
    86

    Re: Reformatting Ubuntu

    Quote Originally Posted by cariboo907 View Post
    It looks like you don't have a winxp partition any more. To install xp boot from your CD and let it go through all the things it has to until it gets to the partition screen. Just delete the partitions that are already there and the you can set up your partitions any way you want.

    Jim
    I know I don't have the Windows XP partition. Something must be wrong with the disc then because I can't get to the partition screen without error.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Beans
    86

    Re: Reformatting Ubuntu

    I checked the disk on another computer and it reads fine. The problem is that Ubuntu is installed. How can I completely format my hard drive so it is blank?

    Thanks

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Beans
    690

    Re: Reformatting Ubuntu

    boot form livecd

    dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda (or hda if thats what you have)

    that will create a blank hardrive, unformatted, with nothing on it.

    to format it to ntfs (why you would want to, i dont know) put in a windows cd and use cfdisk to create partitions/format them

    or

    mkntfs while still booted with livecd

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