Clear Linux off partition without losing Win?

[Needtoknow]

Hello,
I have a wd 30 gig drive that I have partitioned into 3 sections. I installed Linux on 3rd section, the "E" drive , It's okay but I am concerned that I can't scandisk that portion of the drive etc.
I was going to install the Linux on a separate drive and slave it to the wd. Is that necessary or okay as is?
My question is, how do I get the Linux off the "E" drive and if I simply reformat the slave and install Linux, will the os work correctly? Presently it asks at boot up which os to use, will that change?
Should I just not worry about the E drive and leave it alone?
Any thoughts, advice?

Thanks

[Tuf]

You can do it. Exactly how depends on what other OS' s you have and what file system you are using.

Basically I'm sure you using some form of windows. If it's 9X boot with your boot disk and format the pertition. If you are using XP you can do it from Windows by using Disk Management.

[glc]

I'd leave it alone. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Doesn't Linux have its own utility that works like scandisk?

[Needtoknow]

Hi,
If it does, I can't find it!!
I have looked. I will look some more. This has been an interesting experiment with Linux. I like to boot to it and mess arouned learning, but it doesn't recognize my winmodm and until I get a (cheap) external at Goodwill, I can't use it for the net.
So when I find a helpful site, I can't try to use the info right away, I have to log off and boot to Linux etc, gotta get a modem.
Long answer, sorry.
I'm running 98se, I may have formatted this drive with a wd utility disc, but I haven't checked. I could(if I chose to change it) simply boot from the floppy and choose "format E", I hadn't thought about that ...
It throws me cause it doesn't "see" the e drive in windows anymo'
thanks

[glc]

The problem you have now is the Linux bootloader - that's what I'm afraid of you screwing up. In order to remove Linux from that partition and boot right to 98, you will have to do whatever's needed to get rid of the bootloader and probably resys the drive with 98 - I don't think a simple fdisk /mbr will do it. You can't just format the Linux partition to make it available to Windows - you will probably have to delete and recreate the partition.

[Needtoknow]

Ah, I knew there had to be more..
The simplest thing is to go to the alternate operating systems forum and ask for the equivalent of scandisc and carry on with my learning Linux, eh?
Thanks

[glc]

I know very little about *ix - but the term "fsck" rings a bell.

[Needtoknow]

glc- I hope you are talking about a program, cause what you have written "rings a bell" as to being close to what I feel like screaming at the computer as I learn Linux...I am stupid about where to type, what etc. I have used Win long enough that it isn't so intimidating, but I am not a programmer or anything so a lot of what I hit with linux seems like a whole new way of looking at everything, from a level that I have never observed from before.
I'll look for fsck
thanks

[glc]

I believe it stands for file system check - or something like that.

[Needtoknow]

i started a thread with above question and CH answered and pointed me at a link that relates to fsck, but the process sounds like it may involve file corruption(or worse) I am thoroughly trying to hang in there w linux but if I goof up my entire system reying to clean this up. That is why I was interested in perhaps getting it off of this and putting it on an entirely stand alone drive, but now I'm thinking I have a k6-2 333 that may be perfect as a linux tester so I don'tr risk crashing my favorite box...
and so it goes...
Thanks