Booting problem
 

OK, I've been a bit too hasty and got my self a problem here.

My computer was, until this morning, partitioned with a windows partition, a linux partition, plus linux swap partition and linux boot partition. Linux distribution is Fedora Core 1.
I was using GRUB (installed with Fedora), to let me boot either windows or linux. (GRUB was in the MBR, and booting to Linux or chainloading to Windows)

Since I've found the distribution very awkward and i've hardly used it, I decided to get rid of it. Using paritionmagic (windows program), I deleted all three of my Linux partitions. Being a fool :( , I didn't realise that deleting the Linux Boot partition would stop windows from booting. So, GRUB clearly stores the info with which to boot windows on that partition.

Fortunately, I can still boot into windows, using GRUB commands:

rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
boot

This works fine, and I'm using windows on that PC now.

But, I don't want to enter this every time I boot my computer, and other people use the computer who will quickly become annoyed by this.

So, I'm looking for a way to either, leave GRUB in the MBR as it is, but run those commands automatically when I boot my PC, or, preferred, to replace the MBR with something (ie. the default) that will boot to windows with no problem.

Many thanks if you can help!

Personnally, I'd just try running windows setup, and doing a repair installation. That should (in theory) reload the windows boot stuff.

I'm not positive about that, though.

I'm going to try that, but I don't think I'll succeed, because I only have a system restore disk, that came with the computer, not a proper windows CD, since it's an OEM version.

Grab a windows boot disk (98 is probably easiest). It loads tools in to the RAMDrive, among them fdisk. Switch to RAMDisk drive.

fdisk /MBR

That should blow away the MBR and allow windows to set itself up again.

use the undocumented feature of dos fdisk.

Boot up your machine into dos -> C:
run the command fdisk /MBR

this will clear your mbr of GRUB

Are you on XP? If so, get the first windows disk, boot to it.

Then I think its 'r' to go into the recovery console, you have to put in the administrator password to do it, but whatever.

Then do 'fixmbr' which will overwrite your master boot record getting rid of grub.

Then exit and reboot taking out the xp disc and it should boot right into windows.

Arrgghhh... thanks, but the advice given actually completely disabled my computer! I'm not on XP, and my recovery CD only lets me remove everything, but running fdisk /mbr meant that "Operating System Missing" appeared every time the computer was turned on......

I've solved the problem by reinstalling Fedora from my CDs, but I'm leaving it as it is now....

Thanks anyway

After you do fdisk /mbr you need to make sure your Windows partition is set to active.

It was the only partition on the computer at this point, and was set to active.

I've since read a few things on the internet about a few problems with fdisk /mbr on some types of hardware and some types of dual booting software, I imagine this is the problem - I guess it's an undocumented feature for a reason!

Sorry you ran into that problem matt_g_uk, forgot to mention that detail Demonbane just pointed out. If the Windows partition is active, when the MBR is found empty the system looks for an active partition and it should find your Windows install without a problem. When Windows is loaded, it may automatically setup the MBR to its liking, although not sure. Even if it didn't, you'd still have no real boot issues because the system would just default to the active partition at every boot.

EDIT: I guess your problem goes a little deeper.... :eek:

I've never had issues with fdisking the MBR but I'll keep this in mind next time these kinds of issues come up.