[Thorgrim]

I hope this is in the right area.My god where do I start!! My friend has a HP Mini 110 1100 pc windows xp home 1gig of ram (i think) no cd rom drive.just usb ports.This all started with him messing up windows and installing Linux why,i have no idea.He then wanted to put windows back on because he didn't like linux,and here is where the problems start.I just got the computer from him to try and undo what he did and restore it back to Win xp.
When I boot the laptop up I get this error.

GRUB loading.
error:unknown filesystem
grub rescue>

So I used my usb cd rom drive put my windows disk in to try and fix the problem,Windows loads the setup.Copies files and when it gets to the window that says press enter to install windows,I press enter.It now goes to another screen and I get this message.

setup has recognized the following mass storage devices in your computer:
<none>
then windows wants me to specify additional scsi adapters press S or enter to continue.
if I press enter to continue it says.
Setup didn't find and hard disk drives installed in your computer.
to quit press F3
this happens if I try to enter the recovery part of the cd also.
I have tried to load an ISO file but when it boots it says.
disk error
press any key to restart.
when I do I get this.

GRUB loading.
error:unknown filesystem
grub rescue>
I am really confused and need some help if anyone could that would be great.
Thanks

[stevecook]

Did he format the recovery partition when he installed Linux?
If not you may be able to restore it to factory settings by pressing F11 (may be a different key - but try that first) on the BIOS screen before boot up.

[Thorgrim]

Yes he did.I did the restore to factory settings in the BIOS with no luck.

[stevecook]

You need to remove the Linux filesystem - I think it's called ext3 or ext2, so I would use a low level format program:
http://hddguru.com/software/2006.04....l-Format-Tool/
to return the drive to blank status, then you should be able to format NTFS and install Windows again.
I haven't used this particular program, but there are many others you could find out there.

[Thorgrim]

thanks,working on that now,trying windows again,i'll let you know what i find.

[Thorgrim]

Sorry it took so long to get back to you.I did the format but still had the grub loader come up.I don't know why it did,unless the format didn't work,it did show the partition and that it was NTFS.What I did do was to install linux back on the drive in hopes that this time around I can just get rid of linux with my wondows CD.I'll be trying that later today.

[stevecook]

Can I ask how you are doing the formatting?

[Thorgrim]

I was going to use my windows CD to format the drive and take linux off,then use the recovery ISO that HP had me download to restore the laptop.Unless there is another way to do it.

[stevecook]

I am assuming that you know how to boot from your Windows CD, then when you get to the partition information you need to delete whatever partitions you find and then create new partitions to your requirements, then choose where to install Windows and then format the partition, then install.

[Triple6]

Did you burn the ISO correctly?

[Thorgrim]

Yup, I knew how to do all that,but thanks for the reminder on that,my ISO is burned correctly as well.I shouldn't have any problems,I hope.I'll let you know how thing go,and again thanks alot for the help.

[Thorgrim]

OK,now i'm getting a bit upset.I tried to use my windows CD (win xp) to format the drive and take linux off.The CD boots up ok and goes to the windows setup screen.It loads files and then brings me to the install screen where I can 1)install windows or 2) enter the repair console. I press R to enter the repair console and it tells me. setup has recognized the following mass storage devices in your computer:
<none>
this also happens if I try to install windows from the CD as well.
Now i'm not sure what is going on. :-(

[Triple6]

Most new system have ACHI or RAID enabled for the hard drive, this requires you to load the correct SATA/RAID drivers during the initial stages of the CD loading via the F6 key. OR set the SATA controller mode to Legacy/IDE in the BIOS.

[Thorgrim]

The BIOS doesn't have the ACHI or RAID option and the F6 key doesn't help I have checked both of them.

[Triple6]

The chances of the SATA mode setting existing on a netbook are low. F6 requires you to have a floppy disc with the drivers.

What ISO are you trying to load? Have you ordered the correct recovery discs from HP? Is it still under warranty?