Can i format the linuxOS by using the Win98se/ME bootdisk and type format e: (assume that linux os is installed on drive E:) or else please show me the right way to format it. Thanks...

Of course , but the Micro$oft format only can format a disk to NTFS or FAT32, note that NTFS is read only to linux, you cannot write to it, u can have read-write access to FAT32 but there are no security in it, any one can write to it without permission. And I don't think Windows OS can reconize the linux (ext2, ext3, reiserfs...etc) and give it a drive letter, so you shouldn't see it at drive E:.... if you want to format a linux partition, use mkfs in linux, if you want to repartition, you can use the disk manager in Windows 2000 or XP. Jon