Re: how to remove dual booting?

"Cameron Fitzhugh" <sendmespam@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

I have already gone through and removed all my personal files, including
scanning the registry for my name and address.

I prefer to leave XP on the computer in good working order, and just remove
the double booting.

"Douglas Mayne" <doug@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:pan.2007.01.08.18.45.07.653008@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Mon, 08 Jan 2007 11:50:40 -0600, Cameron Fitzhugh wrote:

I have an old computer that is dual-booted with XP and an incomplete test
version of Linux (no web access). I am going to give the computer to
GoodWill and I want to remove the dual-booting so it goes directly to XP.

What you are doing is illegal. You cannot simply transfer your license to
Windows XP in that way according to MS I believe.



XP help says I can use the fixmbr command from the Recovery Console, and
to
boot with the Setup CD to get to the recovery console. I have the
original
XP installation CD, but it won't boot, I think because it looks for an
existing XP partition and gets confused by the dual-booting.

So, how can I reset my MBR so it boots XP directly?

Thanks,
Cameron

You would be wise to remove your personal data from the XP partition,
too; that is, if you've been using it. Perhaps, it would be easiest for
you to just wipe the entire disc. One possible method for erasure is
shown below. When your done, collect any "proof-of-license"
information, and the OEM system restore disc (if it exists), and box it
all up with the computer and give it away as a package. From what I've
read, charities and schools would be wise not to accept proprietary
software without the COA. That way, whoever ends up with the system will
know what they have. Also, if you setup XP, it is likely that whoever gets
will just start over from scratch, too (but perhaps without the rigorous
erasure process describe below.) This could you wasting your time on
something which doesn't matter.

Here is a simple way to wipe your disc is with a "live" GNU/Linux CD,
such as knoppix.

CAUTION: This will destroy the contents of the disk, hda.
This is a one-pass zero.

# DEST=/dev/hda
# dd if=/dev/zero of=$DEST

If you need more complete data destruction, add passes which write random
data over the entire disk, etc.

Once you have done that once, you have nothing left to "add passes". There
is nothing on the disk, no programs to run, which would allow you to do
anything. All you can do is switch the computer off.



The manual page for dd has more info:

# man dd.

--
Douglas Mayne



.

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