Master Boot Record (MBR) restore

[roythomas]

Hi All

I’ve installed Ubuntu Linux and it works wonderfully well on the NC10 – no driver issues from first use !

The Ubuntu bootloader was installed on /dev/sda (root of the hard drive) which is fine as I can also choose between Ubuntu and XP Home to load at boot up.

In the past I was able – if I every needed to – overwrite the MBR using FDISC /MBR by running it from a floppy disc, but obviously those days are well over – I assume there is some way of running this from a basic operating system from a USB flash drive. Any ideas how?

Thanks, Roy

[Alfihar]

It depends which boot-loader you want to overwrite the MBR with for GRUB’s you could use pretty much any live linux distribution including Ubuntu.

For Windows one option would be to create a bootable USB memory stick with the standard Windows install on it, maybe these instruction might help. You would boot from the install memory stick, open the recovery console r and issue the fixmbr command.

Out of interest why do you need to do this?

Note that if you use Windows fdisk to overwrite the MBR it will not be the same as the original custom MBR shipped with the NC10.

[roythomas]

Thanks for the reply – the answer is just what I needed !

I don’t actually need to overwrite the MBR at the moment but I’m just wondering how I can totally uninstall Ubuntu and its bootloader should the need arise.

Thanks again for the very helpful and quick response.

Regards, Roy

[Alfihar]

Ah I should have realised, I guess all these years of running dual boot setups with Linux as my main has made me forget that people want to go back to a single boot Windows install if they don’t get on with Linux (or other OS).

Hmm I had a niggling feeling that the disk Samsung provided doesn’t have the recovery feature. So I tried it, and it appears that usefully it is missing. So instead of the Windows install disk you may have to use something like the Ultimate Boot CD instead.

If you have another Windows XP install disk you could use that of-course.

[TCMuffin]

I’ve used the Samsung disk supplied with my NC10 to completely reformat my hard disk and install a fresh copy of XP with its boot loader 😕

[Alfihar]

[quote1242637774=TCMuffin]
I’ve used the Samsung disk supplied with my NC10 to completely reformat my hard disk and install a fresh copy of XP with its boot loader 😕
[/quote1242637774]
Well yes, you can do that. But this is a bit extreme if you want to keep your working Windows XP install and just get rid of Linux.

[TCMuffin]

[quote1242646199=Alfihar]
But this is a bit extreme if you want to keep your working Windows XP install and just get rid of Linux.
[/quote1242646199]
True 🙂

[sammyone]

Hi, it’s quite some time since I seriously ‘played with’ Linux (Redhat 6!) but with Grub, there was an ‘uninstal’ command; this fixes the MBR while removing the Boot loader, leaving one with a ‘standard’ WIndows; I’ll see if I can find my notes and update this thread in a short time..

[sammyone]

Back again… According to my notes, in a terminal window, type –
/sbin/lilo -u

hope it still works,

[Alfihar]

[quote1242674321=sammyone]
Back again… According to my notes, in a terminal window, type –
/sbin/lilo -u

hope it still works,
[/quote1242674321]
I don’t think this will work, most Linux distributions nowadays use GRUB rather than LILO.

[roythomas]

Thanks to everyone who for their replies.

It seems that SuperGrubDisk may well hold the answer – it has its own web site with all the details – I’ll give it a try asap.

Cheers, Roy

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