Question about Volume Boot Record
 

Hello and thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer

Hopefully this is a simple question but is the Volume Boot Record (VBR) only used in Windows? I've seen references to it in relationship to Windows & not Linux... but I'm not sure if that means it's unique to Windows or not. If it is used in Linux can someone give me a quick run down on the criteria of when it would be used?

Could someone straighten me out there please? Thanks!

It's not only used in Windows. Its like the MBR.

The difference is that MBR is at the front sector of the HDD, whereas the VBR is at first sector of a partition inside the HDD. The MBR has a jump instruction to go to the 1st sector in the VBR.

So - you can call it Volume Boot Sector, Volume Boot Record or Boot Block.

Should be pretty easy to research it with that info.

Thanks for the reply! I hope you don't mind a follow up question

You didn't specifically say it but Linux does use it? I've tried researching it and haven't found anything specific about the VBR & Linux. All the documentation I've seen makes it sound like VBR is used in Windows and called directly by firmware or used for chain loading. Can I ask you to elaborate on when Linux would use it please?

Linux uses it. For example, if you want to install syslinux bootloader (which i use on my embedded device installs) you would do this:

I'm not sure how to explain it further than I did. The MBR is sort of universal, where as VBR or PBR are specific to the operating system inhabiting the partition. Perhaps a few links to help:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/syslinux
http://thestarman.pcministry.com/asm/mbr/GRUB.htm
http://glennastory.net/boot/pbr.html

Hope that helps.

THANKS!!!! I think you straightened me out enough I can start researching it!!! Appreciate the help! :)

Welcome! Learning ALL the depths of 'grub' is something I enjoy; hope you will too.
You will find a ton of great stuff in wikipedia.org on boot MBR ... Try this search:
wiki linux vbr