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General discussion

Uninstall Win XP and install Ubuntu (latest version)

Jan 7, 2011 9:06AM PST

I want to do this on my netbook and just need a quick few steps on how to fully uninstall windows XP. I have looked for information on how to do this before but could never find the correct place to enter the command in so if anyone can help that would be great.
Regards , Chris

Discussion is locked

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No, I don't think uninstall xp is necessary.
Jan 7, 2011 11:19AM PST

You just let Ubuntu takes over the whole drive or did you have something else in mind?

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just start gparted and format ntfs partition
Jan 7, 2011 3:44PM PST

Just start gparted and format ntfs partition to ext4.
windos will be removed, but link to it still remain in boot menu.
To clean boot menu from now useless links you need to input:
update-grub
command.

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??
Jan 8, 2011 1:39AM PST

@GODHACK i have literally no idea what you just said ..

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hmm so..
Jan 8, 2011 1:40AM PST

Lets begin from start: you already have Ubuntu installed near XP or just XP?

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Yeah?!?!?!?
Jan 19, 2011 2:53AM PST

Yeah i can see this going well...

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Uninstall XP
Jan 7, 2011 11:43PM PST

Is there a reason you want to uninstall XP? Most use Linux/Ubuntu as dual boot, unless there is drivespace or system OS issue. If you want to maintain Xp just do the WUBI installer for windows and away you go.

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@pgc3
Jan 8, 2011 1:37AM PST

yes i just want ubuntu on my netbook because it is an acer aspire one from 2007 that runs win xp very slow and i have a feeling if i delete xp and just use ubuntu everything will be a lot faster.

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Getting rid of XP for Clean Install
Jan 8, 2011 8:06AM PST

CmL335 said,
"yes i just want ubuntu on my netbook because it is an acer aspire one from 2007 that runs win xp very slow and i have a feeling if i delete xp and just use ubuntu everything will be a lot faster."

I take it you wish to install Ubuntu Netbook Remix (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_Netbook_Remix)? This is recommended.

Very well. Begin by downloading an early version (1.3.5) of SystemRescueCD at sourceforge (http://sourceforge.net/projects/systemrescuecd/files/sysresccd-x86/1.3.5/)

Next, get UNetbootin from the same source (http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/). Then make a bootable small USB Flash Drive using UNetbootin and the sysresccd-x86-1.3.5 ISO file, both just downloaded.

Set your system BIOS to boot to USB first, then boot to your new System Rescue CD USB stick.

After it boots, SysRescCD want you to hit defaults (hit Enter) a couple times. When you end up at the multi-colored prompt on the page asking user to enter either "startx" or "wizard," type in the following command

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda bs=4096 conv=notrunc,sync

which will destroy all trace of any Windows File System, wiping your entire hard drive with zeros. It will take a while, depending on the size of your hard drive, so go make a sandwich or something. When it's done, you'll see some statistics after a statement that there is no "more space on drive" and the size of your had drive.

Don't bail out yet!

At the same prompt, type in the desired startx and Enter
This brings up the XFCE mouse then a yellow-colored terminal.
In the yellow-colored terminal, type the command gparted .

Partition your hard drive. If you don't know how, use the Slackware basic strategy of one partition for root ( / ) -- 10GB (to copy DVDs use 15GB), using ext4 file system;
one partition for swap -- one gig should do; and
one partition for /home -- most or all of the remainder (keep some unallocated should you desire to expand one or add a partition later).

NOTE: when, in the OS install, partition dialog pops up, choose Manual and then either Edit or Modify for each partition created previously with gparted, telling it to yes, use the partition, format it using ext4 file system for / and /home; swap should be okay. [So, write down how you partition, noting /dev/sda1 or sda2 or sda3, size, label (if any), and file system (ext4)] -- it's easy.

When done partitioning, suply enter the command init 6 and reboot follows.

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It Worked
Jan 8, 2011 10:33AM PST

Thanks for the help! Great instructions.

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Good!
Jan 9, 2011 12:03PM PST

You're welcome! Pass it on.