paging for kind souls to solve my little problem

[Fried Rice]

how it started..

 

i was on my desktop, running ubuntu OS. then i went to partition 77 gb and install windows xp on it.

 

windows xp was successfully installed

 

now every time i restart my comp it automatically go all the way to windows xp.

 

it does not ask me which OS i want to run.

 

i want to format my ubuntu OS and use windows xp OS only.

 

and i want my hard disk space back. since i partition 77gb, now i can only see 77gb on my hard disk when im on windows xp OS.

 

my total hard disk space is 140GB.

 

any solutions?

 

*NOTE: Im an IT noob. your patience is appreciated

[redbeacon]

If you are installing 2 operating systems in one computer, you need to have bootloader - a small piece of software that lets you choose which OS you wanna run when you switch on the computer.

 

The problem with Windows XP is this OS likes to erase the bootloader when you begin installing it.

The result: It goes directly to Windows XP when you turn on the PC.

 

Ubuntu's bootloader is called GRUB. The following instructions tell you how to reinstall it (only follow the section labeled "How to install the Grub Bootloader")

 

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1014708

 

NOTE: Have you had Ubuntu for a long time already? Or are you setting up Ubuntu and XP for the first time? Just wanna add some disclaimer that this will take some time and if it causes your system to be inaccessible, it may take some technical tinkering and some patience to troubleshoot and to get it back.

 

I sometimes suffer from writers' fatigue. So if there's suggestions or better methods from other members, you are more than welcome to correct or contribute to this thread

[arthur_chan]

iirc ubuntu uses a different partition system from microsoft

the reason why TS install xp n only able to get 77gb is probably of the other partition linux uses.

ntfs/fat cannot access linux partiton, or vice versa, without 3rd party tools

if there's no data that needs to salvage, using xp's disk management, u should be able to see the other partition. the trick is to simply delete off the partition n recreate n format under ntfs/fat. that way u'll reclaim ur lost space. if however u want to merge the partition, u'll need 3rd party tools like partition magic. only vista n win7 can do it natively.

 

btw, to use disk mangement, go start>run>diskmgmt.msc

Edited March 1, 2011 by arthur_chan

[Fried Rice]

hey redbeacon and arthur_chan, i managed to solve it already.

 

i did what arthur chan suggested.

 

thank you to both of u..

 

if there's no data that needs to salvage, using xp's disk management, u should be able to see the other partition. the trick is to simply delete off the partition n recreate n format under ntfs/fat. that way u'll reclaim ur lost space. if however u want to merge the partition, u'll need 3rd party tools like partition magic. only vista n win7 can do it natively.

 

btw, to use disk mangement, go start>run>diskmgmt.msc

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

If in future you need to resize/move disk partitions without affecting the stored data, get a program like PartitionMagic. I'm sure there are freeware alternatives floating around the internet these days.

[redbeacon]

Aww shucks, I see wrongly

 

it does not ask me which OS i want to run.

 

i want to format my ubuntu OS and use windows xp OS only.

 

and i want my hard disk space back. since i partition 77gb, now i can only see 77gb on my hard disk when im on windows xp OS.

 

Anyways, thanks to all that contributed.