Quick linux nooby question...

N

Nar57981

New Member
My parents have a computer at work that is completely over-run by viruses/spyware. I was wondering if I could put linux on it, and wipe the HDD clean.
The only problem, is that i don't know how to wipe the HDD, can I do this when I install linux onto the computer? or is there some other program that i could use?

Btw the OS I'd be using is Ubuntu.
 
Yes you can "Format" it before you install Linux when you start installing it, it should ask you if you want to wipe the HDD.

Good luck and have fun with it! :)
 
To wipe a drive is simple enough. To partition and format a drive is a different matter entirely. With the XP installer for example that will detect the drive and has the ability to create a new partition and format it when you select that to have Windows installed onto. When going from a Windows to a Linux OS you will first need a few Linux tools for partitioning and then formatting the drive.

The first tool to get will actually delete and create different types of partitions usable for either Windows or Linux called GParted Live for cd. The iso type disk image first has to be burned to a cd-r made bootable. You can download the free Linux drive tool from http://gparted.sourceforge.net/download.php After this some of the latest distros will format the partition created for VFat not Fat32 or NTFS while others will require the use of "CFDisk" or another Linux type of fdisk generally included on the boot floppy you first have to make if not bootable Grub or Lilo boot cd to prepare the drive.
 
I'm sorry, some of what you said was some giberish ><

So i need to download Gparted Live and boot that first to format and partition the space, then i can use the Ubuntu CD and use that space?
Or can i just run the Ubuntu CD and format/partition with that?

Also there were three different options on that link, GParted and LiveCD which one would i need?

Ty for the quick respons!
 
You should be able to just pop the disk in the drive restart the computer and then if it's a live CD you can then load Ubuntu from the Disk format it and then install Linux. Is how I would do it. :)
 
The newer distros are now seeing the needed drive tools included. But you still have to learn how to create new partitions and formatting them after you clean a drve off. Otherwise you will get stuck with a non running system. Linux is still quite a bit different OS to even contemplate. It has often been given the "geeks OS" title due to the manual means of doing things seen with the older distros. Newer releases are now seeing easier guis to work with.
 
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