Grub removed -> No Recovery Solution

[BlackWhizz]

Yes, i tried linux, but i didint like it so i removed grub. That worked, but now my recovery doenst work anymore.

The app works, but i cant make a backup because it immediately goes to XP again.

[John Walker]

Blackwhizz

I’ve gone through the same situation – now that Grub has been removed I can’t get into F2 for set up or the F4 key for the recovery.

THe application works fine but it reboots directly into XP.

Did you get any joy on how to fix/recover from this problem? I’ve tried a complete rebuild using the disks provided and, although everything comes back exactly as it was, I still can’t get F4 to work. Has the Grub loaded affected the mast boot record (is that the correct term?)

Would appreciate any assistance on how to correct. Thanks

[Alfihar]

[quote1230901984=John Walker]Has the Grub loaded affected the mast boot record (is that the correct term?)[/quote1230901984]
GRUB will have overwritten part of the MBR (Master Boot Record), and when you did the complete restore Windows overwrote part of the MBR again.

I guess that on the NC10 the original MBR had some code which allows the recovery partition to be selected to boot from.

I think the only way we will know is if someone with a working recovery partition makes a backup copy of their computers MBR and/or examines their MBR. I can’t do this as I don’t even have the recovery partition anymore.

[John Walker]

[quote1230977382=Alfihar]
I think the only way we will know is if someone with a working recovery partition makes a backup copy of their computers MBR and/or examines their MBR. I can’t do this as I don’t even have the recovery partition anymore.
[/quote1230977382]

Thanks for replying. Would anyone be willing to post a copy or the text of their MBR please?

Appreciate any help

Cheers

[PanMan]

AFAIK Grub doesn’t touch the MBR .

Have you considered reinstalling Grub?

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=grub+for+windows&meta=

NB When I first installed Vista as a dual boot I lost the ability to get into the recovery portion using F4.

Running the recovery solution from withing Vista has given me that option back so it presumably wrote something back to the Grub config

[Alfihar]

[quote1230983742=PanMan]AFAIK Grub doesn’t touch the MBR[/quote1230983742]
GRUB usually does change the MBR. Unless you install it to another part of the hard drive and use another bootloader.

Here is a quote from the GNU GRUB Manual:-

Quote:

Once you’ve set the root device correctly, run the command setup (see setup):

grub> setup (hd0)

This command will install the GRUB boot loader on the Master Boot Record (MBR) of the first drive. If you want to put GRUB into the boot sector of a partition instead of putting it in the MBR, specify the partition into which you want to install GRUB:

grub> setup (hd0,0)

If you install GRUB into a partition or a drive other than the first one, you must chain-load GRUB from another boot loader. Refer to the manual for the boot loader to know how to chain-load GRUB.

As a quick test I pointed a hex editor at the first sector of the hard drive and took a look at the code area for the MBR (0000 to 01BC), within this is contained to words “GRUB Geom Hard Disk Read Error”. This was created by a standard dual boot install of Fedora 10.

[John Walker]

Thanks Alfihar/Panman for the replies.

I’m not sure where the error now lies. I tried linux and removed it. Just to keep things tidy I did a complete rebuild with the recovery disks provided and now f4 doesn’t work.

Don’t want to put Linux/Grub back on – any ideas where the f4 ‘code’ is then? I’m trying to raise a support call with samsung for this. Any ideas from this forum would be greatly appreciated

Thanks again

[John Walker]

[quote1230987278=PanMan]
Running the recovery solution from withing Vista has given me that option back so it presumably wrote something back to the Grub config
[/quote1230987278]

THanks – I’ve tried this as well and it confirms all settings and tells me it will restart to complete the full backup and then automatically goes back into normal XP.

Wish I knew more about this.

Thanks again

[PanMan]

hmmm wonder if it can be done by editing the boot.ini and adding an extra line there ?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/289022

Quote:

This is a sample of a default Boot.ini file from a Windows XP Professional computer.
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS=”Microsoft Windows XP Professional” /fastdetect

BTW just hit C whilst booting to get into the Grub menu & Samsung have installed Grub4DOS 0.4.3

http://grub4dos.sourceforge.net/

Might Be a good starting place to recover

[Alfihar]

I don’t think the Samsung Recovery Solution III software will function correctly without Samsungs custom MBR. The code to make “F4” work fully and to enable the full backup should be located on the first sector of the hard drive (MBR).

The modification to the boot.ini should allow you to boot from (chain-load) the recovery partition. Though I don’t think this will bring back the full functionality of the Samsung Recovery Solution III software. Could be wrong though, it’s worth a try.

GRUB should not be needed.

[John Walker]

Alfihar

Thank – that’s what I’m coming to understand now. I would have thought that a complete rebuild from the recovery disk would have achieved this though.

Not sure whether it’s something that can be corrected by being ‘typed’ in as I don’t know if its possible to access this code

Thanks again

[Alfihar]

[quote1230993155=John Walker]Thank – that’s what I’m coming to understand now. I would have thought that a complete rebuild from the recovery disk would have achieved this though.[/quote1230993155]
The recovery disk appears to just install an almost standard version of Windows XP, as far as I can tell it isn’t able to create the recovery partition either.

[quote1230993155=John Walker]Not sure whether it’s something that can be corrected by being ‘typed’ in as I don’t know if its possible to access this code[/quote1230993155]
You can read the MBR by using a hex editor like HxD. If you tell it to open the disk, then the MBR starts at the very beginning of the disk.

To make the modifications you would really need to know how the MBR is laid out and have some knowledge of assembly language. The partition table is stored in the MBR and will be specific for the layout of partitions on your hard drive.

[John Walker]

Are you aware of any way to get it back? Does anyone know how the MBR is put together for the NP-NC10 model

Thanks

[PanMan]

Ok hows this for a long shot (on the theory the install program may weave some background magic)

Uninstall Samsung Recovery Solution
Reboot
Reinstall Samsung Recovery Solution
ReRun Samsung Recovery Solution

Edit:
which thinking about it is effectivly what I did.
Installed Vista , Lost the F4 functionality. Installed SRS , F4 restored

[John Walker]

Will give that a shot thanks

[Author]

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