formating in ubuntu
 

andG'day.
I am currently using 2 desktops and 1 laptop. The laptop runs vista (because thats what it came with). One desktop uses Ubuntu 8.10 (because I like it). The other one tries to use winxp (I must use that for CAD program software).

The winXP one has got a terrible virus which is somewhere in the mother-board. I have reformated and reinstalled winxp several times. Every time, after 1 or 2 days use, with no old files and no internet connection the virus comes back and destroy's the computer.
One time after it did it I installed Ubuntu to see what would happen. Whatever the virus is Ubuntu completely ignored it for 3 weeks.
I took ubuntu off and 2 days later the virus came back. This time the computer says I have no HD's at all,even when trying to install winXP or vista.

I took them out and and looked at them as external HD in Ubuntu. Everything is still there, in both XP and file HD's.

Now I am going to try installing winXP followed by Ubuntu 8.10 duel boot. To see if Ubuntu controlling the motherboard will remove the power from the virus.
FINALY
My problem I can't find a fat32 or ntfs format comand for an external HD in Ubuntu.
Does any-one know the where and how-to do this format please.

A virus will not reside on the motherboard. It sounds like this is just bad hardware, possibly a buggy driver? Ubuntu loaded with no issue because it uses completely different drivers than Windows uses.

If you use a dual-boot system, Ubuntu won't be "controlling" the motherboard. The only time Ubuntu will have an effect on the system is when it is booted. When you have Windows booted, you will still have issues you had previously. Your time would be better spent trying to find the driver that is causing your problem.

When you say the virus "completely destroyed the computer" running Windows, what do you mean? Did the computer display a blue screen with an error message? Was the screen black with white text displaying "Operating system not found?" We need more details to help you.

In Ubuntu, you can install a program called "gparted" by opening up a terminal window and typing "sudo apt-get install gparted."

gparted is a graphical partition editor that will allow you to format the drive as fat32 or ntfs.

The most recent (What I call destruction) was. I fully reinstalled XP, then reinstalled all the programs that I use (No Illegal ones). Then my slave-CD/DVD stopped recognising when I put in a CD - The light came on and ran for about 10 seconds then went out, when I go into MyComputer and double click on the CD/DVD drive it opens but tell me that the disk needs formatting. If I take the disk out and put it in the Master CD/DVD drive it works fine.
This continued for about 8 hours with the computer being turned off and on 3 times. I then turned it off again and leaft it to cool for an hour.
When I turned it back on I received a message telling me to put my installation CD in and restart. I tried this, using the slave CD/DVD and the computer could not find it. I did it again using the master CD/DVD and it did not recognise it either. I rebooted the computer using a PartitionMagic floppy. It found both HD's but with the colour depicting an unrecognised format. I reformatted both HD's and reinstalled XP followed by Ubuntu.
I did this yesterday morning. So far both XP and Ubuntu are working fine. I have not yet installed any of my XP software programs (other than avg & Spyware Doctor, security) and I have not yet opened ubuntu to the internet because for a cople of weeks I am restricted to "Optus Wireless" and I have yet worked out how to run the usb stick in ubuntu.
Well, that is the lasted computer destroy. The previous ones shut down more abillities before the shut the computer.

G'day kage.
I just re-read my reply to you and saw all the spelling errors. I hope you can still make sense of it though.

Are you running / do you run any pirated software in Windows? If your system is running fine now, before installing extra software, then some of that software may be infecting your system. I am not accusing you of anything, but you should know that if you are running any pirated or even "questionable" software it could contain malware that infects your system upon installation.

No. The only non-paid for programs I am running are AVG, Spyware Doctor, Open Office and Tuneup_Utilities_2007 which came from a magazine. So far though everything is still going good while running dual-boot.
My only with dual-boot at the moment is that until I get a phone line connected to my new house I must use 'Optus Wireless' internet. Unfortunately, Ubuntu can recognise that the USB chip and software are there it can not install the software. So all internet has to be using winXP.
Still, hopefully the landline connection wil happen in the next 2 weeks and I will be able to spend more time on the internet via ubuntu feeling safe.

You can use your optus wireless internet connection with Ubuntu. :) It is a little cumbersome, but if you would like to try it check out this link:

http://freshfoo.com/articles/using_o...ith_linux.html

Thankyou kage.
I am now switching to Ubuntu to try. I have never done anything like this in Linux before. So I think life is going to be very interesting (for a few hours at least).

Now I need guidance. As the instructions say ' The pppd configuration is pretty easy once you know the correct settings'
My problem is that I have only written and created in microsoft.
My Ubuntu does recognise the Optus card and puts a folder on screen called 'Optus Wireless'
Where should I be to see /dev/ttyUSB[0-4]?
Where must I be to create a file called /etc/ppp/peers/optus with the content?
Where must I be to create the file called /etc/ppp/chat-optus-3g so that it can specify all the comands?
I know this makes me look and feel like an absolute idiot but as in anything it is only easy when you know how.
It would be terrific to access the internet because at the moment I can not even play music without a download.

Hello from NZ my Dell Dimension 2.4 dual boots XP Home and Ubuntu 8.04.
I too run AVG Free.
I mainly use Ubuntu all the time ,if Ubuntu fails to get on the net I finally figured windows or AVG needed updating.
So I turned the daily updates off. no probs now
With AVG I uninstalled and reinstalled to effect changes. I think you have to do a custom install to get options. Was a while ago

I came here to find out how to format HDDs.
And I have a Live CD with Linux Mint 4 on it and I tried it on the Dell before it got Dual booted and it had a single HDD in it and with mint live CD I could see the HDD and right clicked on it and format was an option.
I have 2 other single boot PCs a 2.4 Acer with XP Pro and a 2.4 Asus with Ubuntu 8.10.
I would like to be able to format HDDs with the Asus

well I have 3 x 40gig Barracudas only one would take Ubuntu as they have had XP and no doubt NTFS partitions So this machine dual boots now Ubuntu 8.10 and Daryna Mint4.0 no software bootloader as I switch between drives with a manual switch look on the Mint Linux forum I have the same username there Mint seems better formatting than the latest Ubuntu Use the live CD and try it without any changes to PC and it will install on your RAM pays to have a lot of RAM this PC has 768MBs of RAM When I first got it going it had 256MBs and onboard video so I put 128MBs AGP just to get the shared memory back so I could install ubuntu sweet as

Hi.
At the moment I too run XP and Ubuntu on different HD's. When I want to switch I have to remove the side, then unplug one and plug in the other. Can you describe your manual switch please.

oh right its a double switch and it breaks the circuit of the Yellow12v+ and the Red 5v+ wires the black earth wires remain connected.

The switch has 3 positions off is in the center and there is an on each side of the off position.

there has been problems as Ubuntu detects the other OS but cant find it.

So Ive gone back to 8.04 on its own and am going to use the switch on the CD drives to turn them off when they are not needed.

I cut the wires and plugs off some surplus power supplys so its easy to plug up and dusconnect

I need a hot swap draw to disconnect the IDE ribbons