I recently installed Ubuntu v6.10 on my Dad's PC. I set it up for Dual Boot with Windows XP, as I was only trying it out and needed to revert to XP when I install Ubuntu on my new PC.

Now, the problem: I resized the Linux partition using Paragon Partition Manager (on Windows) and then shut down the computer. Since then, GRUB repeats an endless repetition of the word whenever I start the machine.

In response to this, (and because I didn't know at the time that GRUB is installed on the MBR of the Windows Partition) I completely deleted the Linux partitions, from within the live CD of Ubuntu.

I realise that the easiest way of resetting the MBR is to overwrite it from a Windows XP home CD, but because the computer was factory built it came without one, so I can't do that.

Wait, there's more... From previous research on the net I have found that there is a command line tool that can be run from DOS (called something like fdisk, run with the parameter "/MBR" or something). Can I do this with XP? If I was able to put this tool on a floppy would that be able to repair the boot record on the hard disk?

Please help!

AFAIK you cannot do fdisk /mbr from an NT-based OS. Get a Win98 startup disk and do

This looks promising. I think the tools are on this CD. Also note the link to fix mbr--top left, under ads by Google.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/hiren.thanki/bootcd.html

If on a XP cd, boot with it, enter recovery mode, give 'fixmbr' at the prompt and reboot.

Thanks, that's brilliant. All is repaired. I ran the Windows 98 start-up floppy and fdisk /MBR. Lucky I still have an old PC running Win 98 (amongst other things...) with which I created it.