computer boot problems

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I have a dual boot system on my computer, with both windows XP and Xubuntu on my laptop. My computer has been running just fine until one day when my computer was running slowly with windows, so I forced it to shut down by pressing the power button. When I turned my computer back on, neither partition would boot up. I had to get a liveCD of xubuntu in order to access my schoolwork and deviantART on the internet, although my system is showing slow signs of recovery (I can access the former linux partition's files with the liveCD, although I cannot write to the file, and my windows partition is showing up on the destkop of the liveCD, though I can't access it right now)

Somebody (Windows, some application, a virus) wrote to the MBR.

I'm just wondering if it is possible to install an operating system on a completely empty hard drive. I'm thinking about methods like this:

http://www.geeksquad.com/do-it-yourself ... -Wipe.aspx

Although as I have said earlier, the system, oddly enough, shows signs of getting better, but my opinion might change in a day or two. It's not urgent, as I can still access my schoolwork with a liveCD, but I'd like a computer back. One I can install programs on, resume my digital art, etc.

I know almost for a fact that it's not a hardware issue.

I always just repair my MBR or do a format - that wipes the drive. (on my new drive but it has windows 7)

To try just repairing the MBR with hopes that works:

http://helpdeskgeek.com/how-to/fix-mbr-xp-vista/

If that fails (this one is harder and takes a LONG time):

http://lifehacker.com/157578/geek-to-li ... om-scratch

Those are the two things I do. I have never tried the nuke thing that your link talks of. Sorry.

But what about GRUB or linux?

GRUB boots up just fine, giving me the menu for the OS I want to boot, but when I select linux, it gives up and boots just the terminal, and when I try to boot up Windows, it gives me an error that I can't boot it up and that I have to press CTRL-ALT-DEL in order to restart the computer.

It was working fine for over a year, and it suddenly decided to give me the middle finger when I forcefully shut down my computer when it was too slow. The damn thing won't even let me do a clean install of XUbuntu, as it takes forever when I try to get past the checklist screen. It took five hours, and it still didn't go past the checklist screen. What makes XUbuntu remarkable is the fact that it will let me edit the partitions before installing.

While doing a workaround for this I'd recommend installing an ISO of Xubuntu with Universal Boot Installer on a USB drive.

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal- ... -as-1-2-3/

I know you already have a Live USB, but by using this you can make one that is persistent. It will remember changes and things you save to it. So you might backup important things to it in case you have a hard drive disaster on your hands.

In my case I've dumped Windows and now I'm just running Ubuntu on my Netbook. Working good so far.

I messed up my partitions once, and I was able to solve the problem by wiping the hard drive and reinstalling everything. It won't even let me do that now.

Doesn't matter, I just ordered a new hard drive.

What really baffled me about the whole thing is that I can access the linux partition ( to a limited degree) but I can't boot up from the hard drive, access the windows partition, and whenever I try to do a clean install of Xubuntu, it cannot go past the checklist screen (as in, does it have at least 4 gigabites of space, is it connected to the internet, is it plugged into a power source)

I'm a Windows guy, so can't really help you with Linux tasks. But if you can get into, say, Windows 7 with a secondary disk, open start menu, type "disk management" in the search box, select "Create and format disk partitions" ("Disk Management"-window opens up - you can also go here by right-clicking "Computer", selecting "Manage" and then selecting "Disk Management").

In Disk Management, the top view shows your logical drives, the bottom view shows your physical disks. Your "dysfunctional" disks should be shown here. Right-click the physical disk and choose "Format...".

-- Otherwise --

Format the disk from somewhere else. For example from Linux. Or during the installation of Windows.

PS: There are supposedly tools out there to fix MBRs. Google is your friend.

The funny thing is, it can't even read the hard drive properly when I boot from a CD. I try to mount the partitions so I can access the files I used to have. I have succeeded in retrieving my files from the linux partition, but not from the windows partition. I attempt to nuke the hard drive, leaving a completely clean slate so I can install something on it from scratch, but it doesn't let me. I attempt to edit the disk partitions, it can't read the hard drive, not even giving me a view of the corrupted hard drive. When I attempt to install Xubuntu on it, which will allow me to nuke the partitions and create one big parition for one operating system as well as create partitions for my old OS, it won't let me. I'm pretty much convinced that there is something physically wrong with the hard drive itself, as it is too slow. It doesn't read properly when I attempt to edit partitions, it gives up and boots to terminal when I attempt to boot linux, and it doesn't boot windows at all. I pray that the new one works, if it even shows up. This is going to be a long week....

Your describing how my PC died to a T - the new HD solved it for me. I hope the one you ordered arrives quickly for you. I live on my PC and nothing feels right when it goes down.

Yeah... Appears your disk is indeed dead. Let this be a lesson. Always keep a backup of the important stuff!