I am getting an old computer running win 95 free and intend to replace win with linux or some other free os as i intend to build a free system as a hobby. My question is how to remove will format the disk do

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You need a boot disk with format.com on it.

Bootdisk.com

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I don't think he does. Linux includes utilities for low level formatting. It will wipe and reformat a partition or a drive for Linux.

I some experience with that because I once had a computer that I set up as a dual boot of Win95 and Linux.


On Saturday, January 20, 2007 at 2:08 pm, Keith Stanier wrote:
>You need a boot disk with format.com on it.
>
>Bootdisk.com

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Yes that is what i want a dual boot system but do i remove windows or partition and then move windows to one partition As you have done this i would appreciate any help/advice Thanks


On Saturday, January 20, 2007 at 7:56 pm, dhm wrote:
>
>I don't think he does. Linux includes utilities for low level formatting. It will
>wipe and reformat a partition or a drive for Linux.
>

>I some experience with that because I once had a computer that I set up as a dual
>boot of Win95 and Linux.
>
>
>
>

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I'd love to tell you that there is a nice freeware/shareware product that will move stuff around to make partitions and you can trust it. The trouble is, there are only commercial products. (Another trouble is I am recommending products I haven't personally used. Keep that in mind.)

A lot of professionals used to swear by Partition Magic but I read the real-life experiences of a pro who swears at it. He has used it for years and recent versions have sometimes erased partitions.

So the current star is:

• www.v-com.com's System Commander

So that's what I perscribe as the most bang for the buck.


On Sunday, January 21, 2007 at 6:27 am, driver wrote:
>Yes that is what i want a dual boot system but do i remove windows or partition and
>then move windows to one partition
>As you have done this i would appreciate any help/advice
>Thanks
>
>

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But plainly copying Windows 95 will not copy the Master Boot Record that boots Windows 95. It would be best to install it on the newer HDD. I hope the original poster gets the CD and key too.

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Thanks for the help and advice guys I appreciate it


On Monday, January 22, 2007 at 9:24 am, Benoit wrote:
>But plainly copying Windows 95 will not copy the Master Boot Record that boots Windows
>95. It would be best to install it on the newer HDD. I hope the original poster gets
>the CD and key too.

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Plainly?

It worked OK for me a couple months ago when I copied Win98 to a new disk. I used the correct options and copied all the hidden files at the same time. It was very easy.

When I formatted the partition I included the option to install the DOS system files.

Linux will overwrite the MBR anyway, replacing it with its own. That's why Win95 must be transferred first.


On Monday, January 22, 2007 at 9:24 am, Benoit wrote:
>But plainly copying Windows 95 will not copy the Master Boot Record that boots Windows
>95. It would be best to install it on the newer HDD. I hope the original poster gets
>the CD and key too.

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

And how does one choose which to boot from. Wil there be a screen with a choice at start up like when windows has two accounts ?


On Monday, January 22, 2007 at 11:18 am, dhm wrote:
>
>Plainly?
>

>It worked OK for me a couple months ago when I copied Win98 to a new disk. I used
>the correct options and copied all the hidden files at the same time. It was very
>easy.
>

>When I formatted the partition I included the option to install the DOS system files.
>

>Linux will overwrite the MBR anyway, replacing it with its own. That's why Win95
>must be transferred first.
>
>
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Yes. The Linux boot manager is called LILO (LInux LOader). You start up and it asks you for a choice of systems and if you don't select any in about a minute it will take you to Linux.

Linux always had this because it was designed as a server that could serve Macs, PCs, NeXT workstations, whatever.

Because of the GPL, Linux comes with all these utilities and you don't have to search for add-ons. Whenever someone makes an add-on for Linux, all the manufacturers put it on the next distribution.

On the subject of copying the old system, thinking back on it, when I got my Western Digital drive it came, as always, with a version of DLG, its partition and formatting programming. When I transferred Win98 to the new drive it gave me an error message that the partition wasn't big enough (even tho it was the same size). Then it did a sector by sector disk copy. So the Win98 master boot record was copied over.

The bogus error messages caused me a lot of tension but everything worked smoothly. FDISK cannot handle disks of significant size. DLG is free and it works.

Another item from a long time ago was I once tried to install Win95 on a D: drive. Theoretically that can be done. Actually it cannot. All the functions of Win95 were supposed to check the value of the environment parameter %WINDIR% but some of the Msft programmers cheated and just put in explicit "C:"s in. I know Win2K and higher can run from D:. I don't know how well Win98 can do it. But Win95 wants to be C:.

Another thing that creeped out a guy on these forums a couple years ago was that when Linux was installed Windows showed a partition with a size of zero. Some Dogbert type tried to give him advice on how to get rid of that phantom partition and I told him it was normal. The 0 length meant that Linux is formatted in such an alien way at such a low level that nothing in Windows or DOS can write anything there. So the partition is listed as having a size of zero.

I had Linux about 7 years ago but it was not ready for primetime. The only forum that I could find like this was not the equivalent. The contributors expected a $10 tip for advice such as I just gave you for free. Msft was not exaggerating then when it said Linux started free but quickly the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) exceeded Windows. I'm sure it will be better for you now.


On Monday, January 22, 2007 at 12:33 pm, driver wrote:
>And how does one choose which to boot from. Wil there be a screen with a choice at
>start up like when windows has two accounts ?
>
>
>

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Thanks dhm for helpful reply

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