RED HAT 7.1 VS WINDOWS SE 98

[cburns1293]

I started about two years ago with a version of corel linux and moved on to redhat because of the clientele it holds. So now I have redhat 7.1 and have tried several times to install but here is the problem I run into. I own two cpu's one is a hp other is a compaq the compaq is mine and the hp is my wife's. But the compaq is a AMD933 and course it has a original installation software, in which compaq likes to bs you around and install a partition on your hd with all the backup software you need so they do not have to send the disk. but I had them send them to me anyway.. But I have tried to install linux and install the cpu software but with the computers installation of compaq software it erases any other partition that may have been installed and thus 'poof' no linux. So I tried to install after installing the cpu software and erasing the software c: drive leaving the back up partition for reinstalling the software and then creating a partition for linux with the remaining hd space like 5-10 megs but when I went to install windows back it said there was already 3 different partitions and no more could be made. Could this be from the version of fdisk I was using? So I reinstalled the windoz software and then proceeded to delete the d: back-up drive to try to use that.. but it was only partition for 2.8 gig.. and of course a full linux rh install was 3.0. and that did not work either... hehe so I logged on to the askjeeves site to inquire.. I guess that is why I was stuck on one or the other... well let me clarify that I have been able to install linux but as a swap and only 1.8 with a boot disk and enjoyed almost everything about it But felt a little limited compared to alot of the software windoz has avail that linux is not avail. to run. Am I wrong about that and is there more out there then I know of? I have many linux versions and I guess stuck with RH 7.1 Can anyone help with this problem...??