Remove LILO bootloader from "dual boot"
 

I have a dual boot system using *two* separate HDD`s. I have WinXP (set as Primary Master) on one drive, and Mandriva L.E.2005 (set as Secondary Master) on another.

I use Lilo to choose which O.S. at bootup, with Mandriva set as default.
I would like to return to the conventional Windows Master bootloader.

I am going to be selling this rig shortly and would like to remove LILO bootloader, and also remove Mandriva, by formatting and using the second drive as Windows NTFS data storage drive.

Could someone here point out to me the best way of accomplishing this task?

Thanks, Matt

There are tools on the Windows install/rescue CD that came with Windows (or your computer).
Maybe there are ways to do this within Windows, or from a Live CD, but I don't know for sure.

I don't know of a way to do it within windows, but it is easy to accomplish using the repair function on the windows install CD. The command is fixmbr and fixboot.

But if you are selling the rig, wouldn't you want to wipe it of data first anyway? That would reset the bootloader.

"But if you are selling the rig, wouldn't you want to wipe it of data first anyway? That would reset the bootloader'

Good point! "This will be kept in the family", so to speak. I will also be using a Windows program called "Eraser" to clean out any of MY windows stuff. I`m not too concerned, because most of my "computing" on that box was in learning Linux Mandriva. There is not much personal data, just programs and such. I have another (Windows) computer with data I would be more carefull about.

Back to removing the bootloader...I remember doing this once before, and I think all I had to do was (at a DOS command line) something like this: FDISK/MBR
Does this sound right?

Thanks again for your insight into this problem.
Matt

Yes, you need to boot to your Windows CD and get to the recovery option. Windows will ask you if you want to install or recover(or repair, I can't remember) an existing install. You want to do this. Then after a few screens, you will be at a command prompt. The command to restore the bootloader is "fixmbr" without the quotes, of course. =)

Boot the XP CD, get into recovery console and run fixmbr.
This is the annointed (and documented) successor to "fdisk /mbr".

This reloads the XP loader code into the MBR of the (BIOS) primary boot disk.

If the boot of the CD fails, make sure you have the XP partition marked as bootable.

I'm kinda new to linux but your secondary hd with linux on it should be easy to clean.
From win click on start/my computer/ then find your secondary drive(win hd is usaully c: by default),right click on it,NOT C,and in the drop down menu should be the format command.
After convincing win this is really what you want to do it should leave your hd squeeky clean with a nice ntfs file system all set up ready for some data.
As for the mbr I think purelithium answered that.I've never had to do that.Now that I'm learning linux well enough to use it I never want to :D Long live grub.

Oh what a feeling!

"Now that I'm learning linux well enough to use it I never want to Long live grub."

Yeah,thanks guys, Im really NOT abandoning Linux (Mandriva) just abandoning my second box. I have plans for a dual boot on a yet another box I will be building sometime after Christmas (if Santa is good to me!)

MRDucks,the Second HDD is not to be found under Windows! However, I believe I can Format the Linux HDD just by re-installing Mandriva on it`s drive and clearing all the partitions during the process, thus allowing for a later conventional Format and Partitioning under Windows back to a NTFS data drive.

Thanks purelithium, svg00, and bp12345!!! Will do as you suggest

Matt

You could do that, or you could go into your Control Panel in XP and select "Administrator Tools" and go to Computer Management, and then go to Disk Management. In there you should be able to see the physical disk. It will be listed as either Unformatted or Unknown. You can then format it with the native XP utility. If it is over 32 GB, then windows will only be able to format it for NTFS, if it is under 32GB, then you will have the option of either formatting FAT32 or NTFS.

Yes, this sounds good purelithium!
I take it, I should fix the MBR using the XP CD recovery console *FIRST* and before Formatting the Linux HDD, (using Disk Management) under Windows?

Thanks again for all your help.

Matt

It shouldn't really matter either way, I don't think. I'm always willing to help!

Good Luck!