How do I install linux and get rid of windows xp?

I just got a computer from a friend that had a corrupted version of windows xp. I tried uninstalling it through the command prompts but it says it wont work. I tried installing linux but after the boot screen it comes up with all these error messages. Im not planning on partitioning my hard drives. Does anyone know if you have to uninstall windows to make linux work right?

How do I install linux and get rid of windows xp?
This is exactly what happened to me 4 years ago!





I was so mad that I installed a Linux distro, (I think it was MEPIS), lost my windows data, (stupid me...I didn't bother to save my files to another drive/partition) and HAVE NEVER LOOKED BACK!





I love Linux and have closed the windows forever!





To be safe, I recommend that you get a "live CD" of a distro like Ubuntu or MEPIS and try it out. A 'live CD' won't change anything on your hard drive, (like destroy the existing data etc.), and will allow you to see if Linux will work with your hardware. If the computer was running XP then chances are it has the RAM and processor speed to do real justice to a Linux distro. Most live Cd's include a hard drive installer.





Almost all hardware now works with Linux; the exceptions being some of the latest boards for which drivers have not yet been written. So there is a very good chance your computer will work just fine under the Linux OS.





If you don't want to spend the $1.95 for a CD, UBUNTU will send you one for free, but it takes a while as they are mailed out of Europe. Try OSDisc.com and click on the live CD tab at the top of the page. Try Puppy Linux too...you can install it on a 1Gb thumb drive just in case you hard drive is kaput!





lake
Reply:You need to create at least two partitions for Linux - "/" and "swap" (there are ways around this but a good install should have at least 3 partitions! /, swap and home). You have to have enough free space to create the Linux partitions (5 - 15 gigs, will work, depending on the distro). Don't try using DSL, Peanut, Puppy, etc., unless you want to have a MINIMAL system!





If you have a non-functional Windoze partition, (did you notice the NON-FUNCTIONAL part?) and you do not have a legal copy of any flavour of Windoze that you can install, then boot from the Linux install CD/DVD and let it hose everything and install clean - but I don't recommend this.





"All these error messages" is really useful information. Here are the steps to fix it.





Once linux is up and running, you should be set to go, but again, I don't recommend that you remove the Windoze partition - dual-booting is the way to go, until you are sure that you want to make the leap!
Reply:delete the partition that has xp on it. install linux on the new partition after it's been formatted.
Reply:Is your hard drive broke? Can you hear an odd mechanical noise (that usually means it's broke.)





If you've got an install CD for Linux, as far as I know, it should be able to install itself no matter what is going on with XP/
Reply:You don't have to uninstall Windows but if you are not going to use it you may as well. You may have got errors in Linux if the version of Linux you got doesn't support some of the hardware in your machine. It all depends on what the error messages say.