Installing windows on an ubuntu drive
 

Hi, I put ubuntu on a new drive "in a hurry" as a stopgap util a new win 7 cd came in. The trouble is I cant install windows 7 on the drive. It will not partition through the windows cd or format the disk...says disk is busy. I was wondering if there are any straight-forward fixes? Im assuming I have to format to NTFS with the latest version of ubuntu on a live cd now? Has anyone got any pointers for doing this easily?
Thanks!

Say what? You can't do what you want to do.

If you want to keep Ubuntu on the drive AND have Windows you need to partition the drive off and then just use the Windows cd.

If you don't want Ubuntu then just stick the Windows cd and nuke the partition and start over.

Hi, No I meant Im having trouble removing ubuntu. The windows cd wont nuke or create any partition with ubuntu on the drive. Thats why I thought about removing the partition using an ubuntu live cd?

Your better off downloading GParted and use that.

OK Ill try that, cheers!

you have to choose custom install and delete all the partition .....

Yes Ive tried to do that it says the system is busy:doh:. Maybe Im missing something I thought that would be the best/easiest way.

there is a couple of ways to do this one way is to grab your ubuntu cd boot into the "live ubuntu " and load up gparted and format the drive this is probably the easiest way.

I am surprised that windows 7 didn't see the drive it should detect the drive then ask if you want to format it

Problem might be related to how Ubuntu (and linux in general) treat the MBR or the primary hard disk. As others have stated, you should probably use a stand-alone cd to format the disk including the MBR/zero track before trying to install Windows. Alternatively, using the Hard drive manufacturers diagnostic utility (again from a live-cd or similar) will be able to do this using an erase or by writing zeros to the drive.

Hmm, that is strange.

So you have booted from the windows 7 disk and then selected custom and then tried to delete the disk? The whole "system is busy" thing sounds like you are trying to do it from within an OS.

I know I have nuked Ubuntu partitions without any issues using the windows 7 disk so you shouldn't have any issues as long as you are booting to the windows 7 disk. Of course if you are and it is still saying that then, use gparted from your Ubuntu disk and it should work fine.