Welcome to grub error: unknown file system eentering recue mode.
 

I have linux fedora 17 installed. Do not do dual boot. only one system per machine. Had been working for months but suddenly got the above error message.

I have tried the restore / grub commands to now avail. From solaris days I vaguely remember that if track 0 boot sector got corrupted we could restore it by its copy.

Lastly I do not mind re installing but before that it it possible to boot it up in rescue mode with networking.

All my data is still safe on the system.

Other idea is to fit just 1 disk only and install the system again then mount the existing system and copy existing data.

Thanks

have you read the fedora 17 install guide
the section on "common problems"
"19.1.2.1. Reinstalling the Boot Loader"

http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/...all-bootloader

HI did not work. I get the folloowing error:

grub2-install --force /dev/sdb1
/usr/sbin/grub2-bios-setup: warning: File system `ext2' doesn't support embedding.
/usr/sbin/grub2-bios-setup: warning: Embedding is not possible. GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists. However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged..

Any way out.

if you are not dual booting and fedora is the only os installed
why are you trying to install grub to the first partition on the second disk on the computer ( sdb1)

the default location is sda1
the first partition on the first disk