windows and linux together? or just windows?

[Guest]

hello
i just want to say that am not an expert at all in these subjects but i
tried to do some research and i think now i can ask proper questions.
Now i have two partitions in my laptop (dell inspiron 1100, 30gigas HD,
pentium 4) for linux and windows (15 gigas e/o), these partitions were set by
a very knowledgeable guy.

This guy told me that my laptop wouldnt support the new windows versions in
5 years therefore my laptop would be useless; however if i used linux my
laptop would be operable for many years, and i could use simulation programs
that would allow me to open different kind of files normally used on windows
(xls, doc, pdf files etc)
Questions:
1. is that statement true?

Convinced by that statement i decided to let him install both systems, and i
started learning the basics for linux, apparently my friend installed a very
complicated version (the one he always used and it was a variation of GNOME)
of that system cuz i couldnt do anything by myself (while using the kernel)
and all the time i had to ask him. Well all of the sudden he went back to
Denmark and i rarely used linux, later i had a problem with my XP and i had
to reinstall it again and i losed the option to choose from which O/S to
start the booting, now it starts in windows all the time(but i know linux is
there using the 15 gigas partition).

I've been a very desorganized and lazy laptop user and didnt renew my mcafee
antivirus nor its firewall that came installed in my laptop and now my lap is
full of shit , not to mention that i stupidly avoided downloading the SP2. So
again am gonna do the radical solution of reinstall everything from scratch
but this time am trying to follow some of the recomendations you give in this
forum (like using AVG as antivirus and probable the trend micro firewall).

Because of this start over i'd like to ask you few more questions so i can
decide better if installing both linux and windows (reducing the linux
partition) or just have XP:

2. is there a version of linux recommended for beginners like me? am not a
comp science guy but i try my best to do research (at least now that am
taking some time off from university) and learn about it.

3. if i decide to dump linux, can you suggest me links where i can find
technical information (or if you wanna tell me here on this forum i'd
appreciate) about how to format the linux partition and resize the windows
partition to take all the 30 gigas of my HD? if i resize windows partition
can i loose all the documentation in "my documents"? from the first time i
reinstalled everything i discovered "my documents" was untouched. Still am
gonna do back up of all my info on the laptop

4. if i decide to keep linux and get it operational ? can you suggest me
links about how still resize the linux partition? i want to reduce it to 5
gigas cuz 15 gigas its too much disk space wasted (specially if am not gonna
store my main info there, i;ll do that in windows). Can i still lose info in
"my documents"?

thanks for your answers
Roberto

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

All you need for an excellent eXPerience is to install Windows XP
on one partition. You do not need a sub-standard O/S such as Linux.

How to Remove Linux and Install Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/d­efault.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;3144­58

How to Remove the Linux LILO Boot Manager
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315224&Product=winxp

Clean Install Windows XP
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| hello
| i just want to say that am not an expert at all in these subjects but i
| tried to do some research and i think now i can ask proper questions.
| Now i have two partitions in my laptop (dell inspiron 1100, 30gigas HD,
| pentium 4) for linux and windows (15 gigas e/o), these partitions were set by
| a very knowledgeable guy.
|
| This guy told me that my laptop wouldnt support the new windows versions in
| 5 years therefore my laptop would be useless; however if i used linux my
| laptop would be operable for many years, and i could use simulation programs
| that would allow me to open different kind of files normally used on windows
| (xls, doc, pdf files etc)
| Questions:
| 1. is that statement true?
|
| Convinced by that statement i decided to let him install both systems, and i
| started learning the basics for linux, apparently my friend installed a very
| complicated version (the one he always used and it was a variation of GNOME)
| of that system cuz i couldnt do anything by myself (while using the kernel)
| and all the time i had to ask him. Well all of the sudden he went back to
| Denmark and i rarely used linux, later i had a problem with my XP and i had
| to reinstall it again and i losed the option to choose from which O/S to
| start the booting, now it starts in windows all the time(but i know linux is
| there using the 15 gigas partition).
|
| I've been a very desorganized and lazy laptop user and didnt renew my mcafee
| antivirus nor its firewall that came installed in my laptop and now my lap is
| full of shit , not to mention that i stupidly avoided downloading the SP2. So
| again am gonna do the radical solution of reinstall everything from scratch
| but this time am trying to follow some of the recomendations you give in this
| forum (like using AVG as antivirus and probable the trend micro firewall).
|
| Because of this start over i'd like to ask you few more questions so i can
| decide better if installing both linux and windows (reducing the linux
| partition) or just have XP:
|
| 2. is there a version of linux recommended for beginners like me? am not a
| comp science guy but i try my best to do research (at least now that am
| taking some time off from university) and learn about it.
|
| 3. if i decide to dump linux, can you suggest me links where i can find
| technical information (or if you wanna tell me here on this forum i'd
| appreciate) about how to format the linux partition and resize the windows
| partition to take all the 30 gigas of my HD? if i resize windows partition
| can i loose all the documentation in "my documents"? from the first time i
| reinstalled everything i discovered "my documents" was untouched. Still am
| gonna do back up of all my info on the laptop
|
| 4. if i decide to keep linux and get it operational ? can you suggest me
| links about how still resize the linux partition? i want to reduce it to 5
| gigas cuz 15 gigas its too much disk space wasted (specially if am not gonna
| store my main info there, i;ll do that in windows). Can i still lose info in
| "my documents"?
|
| thanks for your answers
| Roberto

 

[NobodyMan]

All you need for an excellent eXPerience is to install Windows XP
on one partition. You do not need a sub-standard O/S such as Linux.

How to Remove Linux and Install Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/d­efault.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;3144­58

How to Remove the Linux LILO Boot Manager
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315224&Product=winxp

Clean Install Windows XP
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

Sub-standard? Linux? Where's NoStop, the grumpy old Linux bastard,
when you need him?

I wouldn't call Linux "sub-standard." It's just a different choice.
True, it has much less market share, but those who use it LOVE IT to
death. Whatever. I personally have tried Linux, still use it to get
knowledge about it, but don't like the desktop environment nor do I
like the look and feel of the apps included with it.

To each their own.

 

[Guest]

Ive recently moved over to xp from linux and its been nothing but trouble, as
soon as ive finished my uni course im going straight back over, then again
its usefull for the new user i suppose

 

[Leythos]

Ive recently moved over to xp from linux and its been nothing but trouble, as
soon as ive finished my uni course im going straight back over, then again
its usefull for the new user i suppose

If you're not trolling, and since I use both XP, W2000, W2003, and FC3
and now FC4, and I've learned about the differences and what can be done
in all the OS's, you may want to reconsider. Win XP with SP2 is as
stable as any of the FC3 systems and I have a lot of options for both
platforms - even using Evolution with my Exchange server...

XP Pro + SP2 makes a great platform once it's secured.

 

[NoStop]

From his spyware and virus infected Windoze box, NobodyMan had this to say:

Sub-standard? Linux? Where's NoStop, the grumpy old Linux bastard,
when you need him?

Fear not, I'm around and watching you. Cross the line with your FUD and
I'll pounce.

 

[Paul Knudsen]

i just want to say that am not an expert at all in these subjects but i
tried to do some research and i think now i can ask proper questions.
Now i have two partitions in my laptop (dell inspiron 1100, 30gigas HD,
pentium 4) for linux and windows (15 gigas e/o), these partitions were set by
a very knowledgeable guy.

I question that last part. He didn't put in a swap partition for
instance?

This guy told me that my laptop wouldnt support the new windows versions in
5 years therefore my laptop would be useless;

See my other post.

however if i used linux my
laptop would be operable for many years, and i could use simulation programs
that would allow me to open different kind of files normally used on windows
(xls, doc, pdf files etc)
Questions:
1. is that statement true?

Linux programs can read most windows files.

Convinced by that statement i decided to let him install both systems, and i
started learning the basics for linux, apparently my friend installed a very
complicated version (the one he always used and it was a variation of GNOME)
of that system cuz i couldnt do anything by myself (while using the kernel)
and all the time i had to ask him. Well all of the sudden he went back to
Denmark and i rarely used linux, later i had a problem with my XP and i had
to reinstall it again and i losed the option to choose from which O/S to
start the booting, now it starts in windows all the time(but i know linux is
there using the 15 gigas partition).

Linux is a good OS but it takes a lot of time to learn about it well.
I personally tried to, lost patience and gave up on it.

I've been a very desorganized and lazy laptop user and didnt renew my mcafee
antivirus nor its firewall that came installed in my laptop and now my lap is
full of shit , not to mention that i stupidly avoided downloading the SP2. So
again am gonna do the radical solution of reinstall everything from scratch
but this time am trying to follow some of the recomendations you give in this
forum (like using AVG as antivirus and probable the trend micro firewall).

Yes, a complete reinstall seems like the best solution for you.

Because of this start over i'd like to ask you few more questions so i can
decide better if installing both linux and windows (reducing the linux
partition) or just have XP:

Just XP.

2. is there a version of linux recommended for beginners like me? am not a
comp science guy but i try my best to do research (at least now that am
taking some time off from university) and learn about it.

Your university library should have a lot about it. Knoppix is farily
newbie-friendly.

3. if i decide to dump linux, can you suggest me links where i can find
technical information (or if you wanna tell me here on this forum i'd
appreciate) about how to format the linux partition and resize the windows
partition to take all the 30 gigas of my HD? if i resize windows partition
can i loose all the documentation in "my documents"? from the first time i
reinstalled everything i discovered "my documents" was untouched. Still am
gonna do back up of all my info on the laptop

Buy Parititon Magic. Or download a Distro which will do it for
nothing. Then start Windows from CD and have it format your drive.

4. if i decide to keep linux and get it operational ? can you suggest me
links about how still resize the linux partition? i want to reduce it to 5
gigas cuz 15 gigas its too much disk space wasted (specially if am not gonna
store my main info there, i;ll do that in windows). Can i still lose info in
"my documents"?

http://www.distromania.com/ Wipe out what you have and start over.
It won't touch My Documents unless you tell it to.