Backup all the files you want to keep from your /home to another directory say /backup. Then format the partition reiser with the command mkfs.reiserfs /dev/hd?? restore the files to the partition best done from a console login (select from menu on the graphic login screen) as root and using -Rp with the cp command eg. cp -Rp /home/* /backup/ reverse the process to restore and assuming that the /backup directory actually exists, replace ?? with dirve letter and partition number.