My computer needs to be reformated and i wanted to do linux since i do not have xp boot disk. can someone tell me where i can find a linux boot disk and how i can, step by step, put it into a boot cd.
Just want to format (wipe it)? puppylinux.. download, burn and boot... http://www.puppylinux.org/user/viewpage.php?page_id=1 nice small live release.. works well with easy to unnerstand gui and tools. No need to install this beauty.. keep the disk around.. you will come to love it. Full os installation http://distrowatch.com/ same.. d/l burn and boot. read the homepage for whatever you chose.. linux has many different methods of installation.. some easier than others.. currently arch and mint seem to be the favoured for new users..
thanks but just to be sure. My computer will only load up in safe mode and resets when it gets to login screen in regular startup. I am on a different computer and i want to download this as a bootdisk and transfer it to a cd. Can I use this as a boot disk.
Most distro's of linux are LIVE CD's (bootable) so yes once you've burned the ISO you can insert disk in dvd drive & load the linux distro then once it's up & running you can install,however it would not be wise to do away with xp all togeather but instead put linux in a partition after DRIVE C which windows resides on,you mention you don't have an xp disc,by this am i to assume you either have an hp,dell or some other branded computer if so boot into safe mode,in MY COMPUTER do you see what is another harddrive (a partition on your main drive)so you'll see say C drive (windowes xp) & then D or E,F drive (location of recovery partition) exclude the drive letter for you're dvd drive,if you have what appears to be two harddrives the smaller of the two (5-10GB) is where your backup of xp is,you'll need to either look in your all programs list for wording that says,PC HELP,PC HELP & TOOLS,PC TOOLS etc,in the sub catagory look for recovery options (sometimes boot screen will show F8 0R F10) remember you have a xp windows serial key sticker on your comp so if you have no disk you must have a recovery partition for it,if not contact the maker of the comp for a xp disc or a recovery set of disks,my own personal choice of a linux distro would be UBUNTU or KUBUNTU,both are free & can be ordered & sent to you for free,from the UBUNTU site
Look for a little program called winkey finder.. that will retrieve your windows installation code from the registry http://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Decrypting-Decoding/WinKeyFinder.shtml ubuntu is tripe.. use real linux not that sudo thing that will let you down.. people keep banging on and on about it.. but sudo is insecure by nature, and not the way linux is done. pclinux is leader on the distrowatch downloads, but debian has the largest registered user base on linuxcounter.org
