Partitioning/Reformatting hard drive issues

[vierdreieins]

I'm looking to permanently install Knoppix as the sole OS on my computer, but when I try to delete my NTFS partition using QTParted, it states that it's mounted/busy and won't let me delete it. When I toy around with the settings, anything I do that looks like it might make a difference only makes the &Delete button no longer highlighted. I don't want to toy around with it too much without advice, because I'm not always 100% sure what I'm doing. How do I unmount it in order to delete it and install Knoppix?

[RandomGoon]

Don't install Knoppix, it's meant to be used as a Live CD/DVD and tends to get buggy when installed. You can search the forums here and see how many times this is reitterated. If you like Knoppix how about just installing Debian (upon which Knoppix is based)? Running a net install is not as hard as you might think.

Anyway, easiest way to use qtparted to blow away your partitions is thus:

1) From a clean boot into Knoppix either navigate the K menu to qtparted or <Alt + F2> and run qtparted.
2) Highlight your partition and choose delete.
3) Save your changes.
4) Rinse, repeat as necessary for your partition structure.

Most likely you're trying to change partition information while you have the HDD mounted - that won't work and an information dialog box should have popped up warning you of the same.

HTH,

'Goon

[vierdreieins]

Don't install Knoppix, it's meant to be used as a Live CD/DVD and tends to get buggy when installed. You can search the forums here and see how many times this is reitterated. If you like Knoppix how about just installing Debian (upon which Knoppix is based)? Running a net install is not as hard as you might think.

Anyway, easiest way to use qtparted to blow away your partitions is thus:

1) From a clean boot into Knoppix either navigate the K menu to qtparted or <Alt + F2> and run qtparted.
2) Highlight your partition and choose delete.
3) Save your changes.
4) Rinse, repeat as necessary for your partition structure.

Most likely you're trying to change partition information while you have the HDD mounted - that won't work and an information dialog box should have popped up warning you of the same.

HTH,

'Goon

That's the problem, I can only boot Knoppix in one way from the DVD and my hard drive is always mounted. I want to wipe out my hard drive completely, but Windows won't let me delete the boot volume. All I really want is to format my hard drive whether I install Knoppix or not. QTParted won't let me do the steps you suggested, I suppose because I don't know what you mean by "clean boot". I'm getting to the point where I feel like taking my hard drive out, stomping on it and buying a new one.

[Harry Kuhman]

I agree with 'Goon, this is just the tip of the iceberg on issues you'll face with a Knoppix install. I'm not saying here that Debian is the only distro to use or even the best for all users, but if you want a Linux distro similar to Knoppix, why not do a net-install of Debian, the distro that Knoppix is based on?
Go here (http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/) and download a net-install iso of Debian etch. You'll likley want the i386 version but may want one of the two 64 bit versions (AMD or Intel) if you have a newer 64 bit CPU.

Burn it to a CD as you would Knoppix. Use a CD-RW to avoid waste and reuse the disc later.

Boot it, just as you would boot Knoppix.

The installer starts. In the install process it gives you a number of disk options, sounds like you want to select the one that tells it to erase the entire disk and use it for the install.

When you get to the type of install question (much later), select the "Desktop install" option and turn off any other option (you can install other things later).
You'll end up installing Debian, and can install anything included in Knoppix easily with apt-get, will have a much more stable system, and will get past these issues of formatting the disk.

Yes, there are other ways to get past the problem that you are posting about, but I don't want to encourage a problem prone Knoppix install by talking about them.

[drb]

gparted is looking more robust than qtparted - you can get it as a Live CD at http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=115843&package_id=125754 or otherwise try Kanotix LiveCD as an alternative to etch - it has gparted 0.3.1 on the latest RC4 release and is very easy to install with debian sid compatibility.

[vierdreieins]

When you get to the type of install question (much later), select the "Desktop install" option and turn off any other option (you can install other things later). [/list]
You'll end up installing Debian, and can install anything included in Knoppix easily with apt-get, will have a much more stable system, and will get past these issues of formatting the disk.

Yes, there are other ways to get past the problem that you are posting about, but I don't want to encourage a problem prone Knoppix install by talking about them.

I've mostly been looking into other distributions, but at the moment Knoppix was the only Linux distro I could load. I was mostly trying to use Knoppix as a way to delete Windows and then switch to another distribution later. In any case, thank you, I was hoping there would be a way to install something while telling my PC to wipe itself out. I just want Windows out of my computer for good.

[drb]

GParted has unmount in the menu list. Kanotix is a derivative of Knoppix more suited to hard drive installation. You can downloads it as a LiveCD and make sure it finds all your hardware first. I got rid of Windows a year ago and find my Kanotix install unbreakable and, by using apt-get install, able to add whatever packages I want via the debian (and other) repositories.

drb

[ckamin]

Make a simple dos boot disk and use fdisk to delete the hard drives partitions. If your installation of Windows is not booting, go to http://www.bootdisk.com/ and download the appropriate disk. A Win98SE boot disk would do the trick.