Linux How to remove Grub from hdd's mbr?

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zhopudey

zhopudey

Galvanizer
Ok, here's the scene -

HDD1 - Win64
' PCLOS​

HDD2 - WinXP

HDD3 - Vista

I boot off HDD1, and get options for all OSes thru grub. But today I tried booting off hdd2 directly into winxp, and got a grub error. I tried the recovery console from my XP cd, and tried the fixboot command, but it didn't change anything.

So how do I solve this problem?
 
or boot from a boot floppy and use this command:

fdisk /mbr

You just need to get to the DOS command prompt and boot floppy is one of the mediums to get there.
 
No fdd :P

I tried fixmbr. Didn't solve my problem :( Strange thing is, I can boot into hdd3 (vista). So why did grub affect only hdd2? Will I have to reinstall XP?
 
You have to use both fixboot and then fixmbr..if that dosen't work, you can use bootcfg /add ..it'll scan u'r HDD for windows installations and them for bootup...that should work most of the times.

But in any case if it dosen't, then you have to re-install the windows XP to another partition, and let it complete phase 1 ie copying of files(ie in blue screen).After reboot, your existing windows installation will also most probably appear, however if it dosen't, just go back to recovery console use bootcfg /add and add your old windows installation...later on delete the temporary files of new windows installation and edit boot.ini to get rid of it...
 
I boot off HDD1, and get options for all OSes thru grub.
Click to expand...

Are you trying to boot xp from grub ? if so you need to edit your /boot/grub/menu.lst or /boot/grub/grub.conf

If you are trying to boot xp from hdd2.....
Are you sure that your xp partition is set as active (since it is the only partition on hdd2, this may or may not be an issue as it should default as the active partition... but check anyway), then make sure you have the drives in the correct boot order in the BIOS, fixmbr may not work unless the drives are in the correct order.

For a pretty failsafe fix, try detaching all hdd's except for the one with xp (hdd2), make the xp partition the active partition(most likely not necessary, but check), then use fixmbr. Once you have the mbr fixed you can re-attach other drives.
 
:tongue:

Did all that :P fixmbr and fixboot didn't work. Now I'm looking for a win 98 cd, to try fdisk/mbr.

Edit: Oops, I posted from sheru's id :ashamed:

Edit: This is lord zhopudey. :P
 
actually its other way around.

First fixmbr. and then follow it with fixboot :P

if that does not solve issue, then message me over IM. I have a tool to make bootable USB drive. If you have card reader or usb key, it will make it dos bootable and then u can use fdisk from there.
 
Hey funky, does that work with USB hdds as well? If yes, then send me the link, or if its small, then mail it to me. I'll pm you my email id. :D
 
Hey funky, mbrtool didn't work on my 80gb hdd. Said "Drive geometry is not unknown" :S

Now how do I repartition my hdd? I would like to make a 500mb fat32 partition, and the remaining as ntfs. XP's disk management won't let me do it, and acronis disk director doesn't even see the drive :(
 
Try using this tool to remove the Linux bootloader

_http://www.sysint.no/nedlasting/mbrfix.htm

Download tool, open the command line and type

'MbrFix /drive 0 fixmbr /yes'
Hope, this shud work.
 
Wheeeeeee :ohyeah:

Got Hiren's Boot CD, ran fdisk/mbr. It completely removed all partition info from C: :crazy: Then I used XP recovery console, ran fixmbr and fixboot, and all is well in the world now :D
 
Do you have to switch the drive order in the BIOS to boot from xp partition ? if so , may I ask why...... can't you use grub on hdd1 to boot to xp ?
 
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