Red Hat Linux 7.1: The Official Red Hat Linux Getting Started Guide
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Removing Red Hat Linux

Q: Removing Red Hat Linux

How do I remove Red Hat Linux from my computer?

A. Remove LILO

To remove Red Hat Linux, you'll need to remove the LILO information from your Master Boot Record (MBR).

There are several ways to remove LILO from the MBR. If you are using Linux, you can replace the MBR with an earlier, saved version of the MBR using the following command:

/sbin/lilo -u

In DOS, NT, ME, and Windows 95, you can use fdisk to create a new MBR with the undocumented flag /mbr. Windows 98 does not come with fdisk. To remove LILO, Windows 98 users will have to reinstall Windows 98. This will only rewrite the MBR to boot the primary DOS partition. The command should look like:

fdisk /mbr

Removing Partitions

If you want to remove Linux from a hard drive, and you attempted to use the default DOS fdisk, you will experience the "Partitions exist but they don't exist" problem. The best way to remove non-DOS partitions is with a tool that understands partitions other than DOS.

You can do this with your Red Hat Linux installation CD-ROM or from a boot diskette you have created by typing linux expert at the boot: prompt, such as:

boot:linux expert

Select the option to install (rather than upgrade). When you get to the partitioning section, choose fdisk. In fdisk, type p to print out your partition numbers; then remove the Linux partitions with the d command. When you're satisfied with the changes you've made, you can quit with a w, and your changes will be saved to disk. If you've deleted too much, type q to quit without changes.

When your partitions have been removed, you can reboot with [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[Del] rather than continue with the installation.

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