How would you format a drive with linux on it when windows won't recognize it?

[DRF138]

I have a couple of hard dives that were pulled from systems that were running linux 7.0 and 6.2 (red hat)
I can't format them & i can't wipe them becasue when i install them (win2003 or 98se) they are not recognized as D: E: nothing
I thought that perhaps that if I were to install the drive as a master on a box and begin to install windows it widows would format them and subsequently erase linux all together but there are still traces, any ideas ?

[John Prophet]

maybe you can boot with a w98 floppy and run fdisk and "delete non-dos partition".

Then put a regular fat32 partition or whatever on it.

Im not sure with linux.

And run "fdisk /mbr" to try to put a regular w98ish master boot record back on it.

JP

[Dbest]

What do you mean that there are traces, is it that the partition you make doesn't show up all the HD space because there is still some Linux stuff on the other partition? How many partitions are you doing 1 primary and 2 logicals etc. Maybe Windoze is doing indeed the primary partition but is not erasing at all the logical partitions since you'd have to do this on the install options(in the case of win2k3 server I presume) just tell it to format the partition using NTFS or FAT32 your choice of course. Now in the case of win98 yuo would have to boot to a DOS prompt to erase and format the logical partitions. If I were you I'd check how many partitions where on the HD and proceed as mentioned above. ANyway you can always install Linux again on it .

[DRF138]

By still traces i mean that after having installed windows 98 instead of booting to windows-I get either the redhat linux screen all distorted or lilo attempts to load (LI) is all I see then frezze...I can insert the LILO boot disk and linux begins but the kernel panics etc..unable to mount root file system (i suspect be cause it is not the same machine) the thing is I don't want to install any os on the drives, I just want them to be wiped and attached as storage...It is strange because I have tried to fdisk them but they don't even appear in msdos, I have heard the phrase "partions exisist but they don't" before among linux users....I am thinking that if I were to set the drive as PM and attempt to reinstall linux and then delete all the partions using Linuxs' Disk druid I should be able to get it recognized-what say you?
Are swappable hard drive trays the coolest?
Thanks for your time and effort in reponding.
David

[DRF138]

Aren't swappable hard drive trays the coolest i meant..

[DRF138]

fdisk / mbr that's an idea...I just ried to use the start up disk to fdisk after running a linux install up to disk wizard and deleting its partions etc... ctrl alt del out of linux -it didn't delete them because when i booted system using win starup ran fdisk and deleted the on dos partitions (1 non dos) (2 ext dos) I still got the linux screen all garbled falsh black..loading linux....then restarts computer infinetly (repeating same as above )
I started again from win start up and partion one ( the only partion ) is set as act as per my settings in fdisk and it is primary dos-THIS IS THE KICKER THOUGH- IT IS STILL NOT RECOGNIZED UNDER WIN 2003 SERVER.IT IS RECOGNIZED IN MY BIOS AS 4310 mb quantum fireball....I am going to try the above referenced syntax and see how I fare... Noteanything wrong- got suggestions? Thanks for responding.David
David

[ragtop]

Try downloading and running the Maxtor installation software - that worked for me in a similar situation. Or, if you have access to a copy of Partition Magic - that may be able to get things straightened out for you.

[DRF138]

Attempting new suggestion presently
fdisk mbr syntax didn't work...but i did delete the pri dos partion altogether and no residual linux issues-I thinnk it is gone for good -some times i think it helps to format and erase afew times to get rid of things i can't dod wipe it becasue my software to wipe is on this computer...i think partion magic or maxtors solution may be prudent-will any one work like seagates disc wizard...I somehow doubt it something in me says proprietary...got any further-Thanks for your efforts.
David

[soulja]

i member when having linux and windows on a hd, i had to format like 5 times then partion then format again, and i think that fixed it but, i forgot, it was a while ago

[DRF138]

Your right it takes sometime to kill linux on the hd I have done it on each of them several times and I am not getting any more resdiual linux....Funny thing though They are formatted as fat 32 now and win server 2003 still won't recognize them...I just don't understand how to convert them to ntfs in this interface yet...FDISK is no more evidently and I haven't know fdisk to create ntfs- In fact I haven't a clue how to create ntfs partitions...I did try the max blast 3 for the quantum drives i have and it doesn't work under win 2003 no matter how i run it (compatibilty mode can be adjusted in 2003) I t doesn't work under 98se either....Oh well the drives were recognized on that OS, so I don't need it. The magic question is now how to convert the bloody drives to ntfs, under win 2003 or on 98se so win 2003 will recognize them....HMMM, Partition magic sounds like the route to go, but I have now way to get it quickly-know of any freeware???Demo ware?
Any further is appreciated, Thanks everyone.
DAVID