CLARIFICATION: Re: remove linux, and then install Windows XP

[Neil Schelly]

That would seem to indicate to me then that there's a problem with your 
Windows CD.  Because GRUB was installed on your hard disk, it's still there 
(until Windows wipes it).  But since you're seeing it with the Windows disc 
in the drive, that suggests your BIOS is giving up on finding a bootable 
image on that disc and is falling back to the next available boot method, 
your hard disk.

Have you tried that Windows installer disc in another machine to verify that 
it is in fact a good disc?
-N

On Wednesday 26 April 2006 11:13 am, Zhao Peng wrote:
> Hi,
>
> First I wanted to thank you all for your help. The list is so great.
>
> When I said "Then I put in Windows XP installation CD and restarted
> computer" in my original post, I really meant that I booted the machine
> from Windows XP installation CD.
>
> The CD/DVD drive is the 1st bootable drive. I double checked and
> verified it in BIOS setting.
>
> So my problem, at this point, is that I can't boot into Windows
> installation process, with that the CD drive set as the first bootable
> drive and the Windows XP installation CD is there.
>
> BUT, if I put into Fedora Core 5 installation DVD in the CD/DVD drive,
> the machine can get into Fedora installation mode.
>
> Please let me know if my description is not clear enough.
>
> P.S.
>
> Whenever I put Fedora Core 5 DVD in the CD/DVD drive, the machine always
> boot into Fedora installation mode, which I believe, means that The
> CD/DVD drive is 1st bootable drive. (well, could it be possible that
> Hard drive is the 1st bootable drive but can't boot from it?), Correct
> me if I'm wrong, please.
>
> Thank you again.
>
> BTW, Chris, I've NOT yet got Windows installed.
>
> Chris Linstid wrote:
> > I could be wrong, but I think he already got Windows reinstalled, but
> > he still has grub installed in the MBR and grub is looking for his
> > /boot partition (which he already blew away)... thus the grub error.
> >
> >     - Chris
> >
> > On Apr 26, 2006, at 10:34 AM, Neil Schelly wrote:
> >> It seems you're getting a lot of help with the MBR, but that isn't
> >> what you're
> >> looking for.  You have/had Linux on there and want to install Windows
> >> over it
> >> instead.
> >>
> >> As far as I know, you just have to boot from the Windows install disc
> >> and it
> >> will be more than happy to just take over the hard disk regardless of
> >> whether
> >> or not your MBR or partition tables are clear.
> >>
> >> In your case, you said that instead of booting from the Windows
> >> installer
> >> disc, you saw a GRUB message instead of the Windows bootup.  That would
> >> indicate to me that your BIOS is set to boot from the hard disk
> >> before the
> >> CD-ROM.
> >>
> >> So clearing your MBR will probably make the BIOS try and boot from
> >> the hard
> >> disk, fail, and then boot from the CD-ROM.  But you may find it a
> >> whole lot
> >> easier to tell your BIOS to look to the CD-ROM first.
> >> -N
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