On the subject of which: I can't find anything, anywhere, that tells me what's on these 20 additional CDs I've taken hours to download and burn [I'm not on-line with the computer I'm using to try out Etch]. They all look about the same, when I put the CD in and it opens on my desktop, and the only things inside the file folders are more file folders, denoted with letters of the alphabet, which lead to files with all kind of strange names, only some of which are occasionally familiar (like "java" and "nvidia" ["Hey! I think I've got one of those!]).
All the CDs that you have downloaded contain the various packages that can be installed on a Debian system. However, the packages are organized in a way that facilitates easy installation and upgradation by the 'apt' set of tools. The CDs are *not* intended to be installed manually. Before you can ask 'apt' to install a specific software for you, you need to tell it where to look for that software.
You can do this by inserting each CD in your cdrom drive and running the following command: (type everything except the '#' symbol which is the command prompt)
# apt-cdrom addDo this for all the CDs that you have downloaded and burnt. It is easier to do this if you can (atleast temporarily) get internet access for your system. In that case, the following command will do instead of repeatedly fiddling with the CDs:
# echo "deb http://mirrors.kernel.org/debian/ etch main" \ >> /etc/apt/sources.listOnce one of the above two steps are done, the following commands should help get a basic system with gui working.
# apt-get update # apt-get install tasksel # taskselWhen you run the last command, you will get a menu asking you to choose the packages to install. Make sure "Desktop Environment" is chosen (use the cursor keys, tab and space for this). This should install all the packages that would be required for a desktop system.
If there is not a simple way to add programs, could someone then, PLEASE, have mercy on me and take the time to tell me how to completely uninstall this Debian program from my computer (including that GRUBby little petard who took over my computer on the first try and wouldn't let me access my BIOS, necessitating a very scary "fix" of the "mbr": "WARNING: Are you SURE you want to do this?!!! Making a mistake, here, could terminate all known life in the universe." Well, it said SOMETHING like that, anyway ... )
I hope the above instructions were not too complicated. If you do want to restore windows, then the following steps might help.
First of all, please note that GRUB has nothing to do with preventing access to the BIOS. You will still be able to enter the BIOS setup using the same method you are used to (pressing <Delete> <F9> or whatever)
If you get a GRUB menu with some selectable items, see if your windows operating system is listed in it. You can select it and be done. Otherwise, you will need to boot from your windows installation cd in recovery mode and overwrite the master boot record. The 'fixboot' and 'fixmbr' commands should help you do this.
Good luck. Raj Kiran