Firstly, I feel very stupid right now, and even more angry at myself.

Secondly, I dont know where my second hard drive that I tried to install Linux on has gone, being the SOURCE of both the above. (it does not show up in My Computer anymore, where my list of drives used to be).

Now here is whats going on. I have been very interested in using the Linux operating system on my computer for some time. I wanted what is said to be a more secure OS, as I have had to cancel my last bank account due to being in debt because my credit card information was stolen online. there is no other way I can imagine so many purchases would have been made online that I had nothing to do with. and most of all, Windows has a reputation of being full of security flaws.

Lastly, I just wanted to TRY something different! so with all of that said, I downloaded the file Archlinux-i686-2007.08-2.core.iso from the ftp address ftp://ftp-linux.cc.gatech.edu/pub/linux/distributions/archlinux/iso/2007.08/i686/ which is apparently a Linux distro that likes to "Keep it Simple". (I haven't found it to be very simple so far, and I haven't even installed it yet! at least I dont THINK I have.... am I just that stupid or what?)

So backtracking before the (possible) install. I burned the ISO image file to a CD-R disc using Nero Burning ROM, and then restarted my pc with it in the CD-ROM drive. it comes up with a long string of things that pass by way too fast to even read, and finally comes to one that you are supposed to type something in at. Something that is along the lines of /arch/setup. then I go through the setup step-by-step, and along the way, some more text that I can't possibly read as fast as it passes by. next I get to a point where it is asking me to reboot, so I do. and all that I remember after this is there is yet again more text flying by, then the CAPS lock and Scroll lock lights on my keyboard are flashing, and no buttons I press work. not even CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart my pc. I literally have to hold down the power button to restart, which I have advised against doing once before on this same forum! I hate doing that, and the fact that I had no other option!

If nothing else, I would settle for just getting my other hard drive to appear again, so that I know its STILL WORKING and not ruined or something because of this! excuse me, I'm very paranoid right now. Well here is my info below!

* Basic details on your computer, manufacturer (Dell, HP, custom built), how much RAM, CPU (Intel/AMD), etc.
manufacturer: Compaq
RAM: 480 MB
CPU: AMD Athlon(tm) XP 1700

* When did the issue start occurring? Did you recently install a program, new hardware device, or visit a web page?
After I supposedly installed the Distro and started booting from the CD-R containing the ISO image file!oh please dont leave me alone with this one! my last problem was a SNAP to fix! this time me and my computer feel like a person stranded in a desert and suffering from dehyrdation!if you tried to install linux on your other drive, it probably got formatted. windows will not recognize linux partitions. go into your BIOS and see if it is there. it should be.

secondly, if you've never used linux before, i dont recommend archlinux. you will be completely lost. even people with some linux experience struggle with it. you are better off using a distro such as ubuntu, pclinuxos or linuxmint.(a fav of mine)

after you pick a distro to try, join the official forum if you need help. most people are more than happy to help. good luck and be patient.archlinux was designed more for a linux power-user, not for a beginner. Instead, I recommend trying opensuse or ubuntu, as these are very simple to set up and configure.
You should be able to see the hard drives and reformat them in windows. Right click on My Computer and select Manage. From there find the Disk Management item in the left pane of the window. The main pane will show you all of the attached drives on the computer and you can delete partitions, rename, format, and reassign drive letters from there if you need to.
However, if you want to view files in a linux partition, you will need a third-party utility. I'm not sure which one's there are anymore, but know they exist.ok so it turns out that I was making a big deal out of nothing. all I had to do was right click on my computer and go to manage, just like you said. then I deleted the partitions that were created for the linux install, made a new one, and now my other drive shows up like it's supposed to. I'm a happy bunny again
in other news, I was completely lost for sure! I think I'm gonna go with ubuntu, I have heard a lot about it, and it does seem to be much easier. well thanks to everyone for getting me out of another mess! Ubuntu is definitely a better choice (especially for beginners). The installer is GUI (in other words, no fast text flying by ). It's even more friendly than the Windows XP installer. There is also a lot of help available for this from the community, and I'll be happy to help you at any given time. Just contact me here, or on "argentcomputers (at) lavabit (dot) com".

-Stephen