When I read the title, I thought someone else had turned to the "Linux Side".
Alas, no joy for me.
My suggestion is, if you don't have anything on the machine that your worried about keeping, just reinstall the Windows that you want to keep using the restore CD that should have come with your system. It will walk you through a full reinstall of the machine. Or you could download a fine Linux product such as
Ubuntu or
Kubuntu you could also try out
Mandriva or
OpenSuSE or
Fedora 7 and install that, there are many howto's for "dual-booting" your system if you feel the need for Windows. The only reason I keep it is for work applications and gaming.
Good luck in whatever you decide.
John