Error loading operating system
 

Hi everyone, i know this isn't strictly related to linux but the people who use this site generally know what they're on about more than most other sites.

The problem is I downloaded some video files of iMesh in windows (pffft!) and when i played one of the files it reset my computer!!!

When it tries to boot now it says Error loading operating system! I can't get to my linux OS anymore, i wouldnt care if it was windows i couldnt get to!

Obviously its some virus I've caught, but i don't know which one, does anyone know of a similar virus or problem? Any advice would be greatly appreciated,

cheers scottie :)

if it erase only the MBR then you might be able to use smart boot loader i don't know where to download it cause i found it on a cd put that on a floppy it should get you trought to windows or at the worst if you have win XP put you installation cd in and select repair windows isataaltion that should fix the MBR but you won't be able to get to linux

did the bootloader disappear?

if it did, then it sounds like a windows virus nuked your MBR or something...

that would mean you'd have to re-install the bootloader (and then of course proceed to kill the infection in windows before it kills your MBR again, if that's what's happened)...

this (bootloader restoration) is usually done using a linux "rescue" cd... most distro's cds have rescue functions built-in...

of course perhaps you might be using some other kind of bootloader... i have no idea...

it's good to post as much information about your situation as possible when asking for help... it'll get you better, quicker answers...

i've found Grisoft AVG to be an excellent "free" antivirus for winblows...

http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php

Assuming that it is the MBR that's neen nuked, do you have the bootable CD for your linux distro? if so then recreating the MBR is easy, but there are different methods for different distros, and I only know LILO, if your using grub then it's a SEP ;)

...so which distro do you have?

If you just want to fix XP, then boot of the XP CD and go to the recovery console and type FIXMBR and FIXBOOT, that should get you sorted... that works on Win2k as well, and you can use an XP or 2K CD to fix NT like that too. if your on 9x or ME then you need to boot off the CD and go to a command prompt and type 'fdisk /mbr'

Have fun ;)