GRUB fails to boot any OS

kemtnbkr · 02-18-2011, 10:19 AM

I am inexperienced in using Linux, and just installed Ubuntu 10.10 on an external hard drive. I didn't want to mess around with re-partitioning my hard drive, which has Windows 7. I figured that I could just run Ubuntu from the external, and if it gave me any problems with Windows, which I unfortunately need for work, I could just unplug it and boot normally. However, GRUB appears to have installed some component to the local hard drive. Whenever I try to boot from the local hard drive, I get this error message:
"error: no such device: 8b84f351-7770-4908-b12f-0cbd31bc3662
grub rescue> "
Another thing is that in the boot menu, only the CD/DVD drive and local hard drive are options, it won't even register the external.
Any suggestions on what may have caused this error? I saw from other posts that GRUB doesn't like multi-drive systems. Also, would it be possible to delete GRUB from my system, then allowing Window's MBR to take over? Thanks for any help.

szboardstretcher · 02-18-2011, 10:28 AM

If you want to remove Grub, and have windows re-write the MBR -- thus getting rid of Ubuntu...

Code:

Boot up off of the Windows 7 CD
"Repair your computer"
Command Prompt
cd \boot
bootsect /nt60 C:\

kemtnbkr · 02-18-2011, 10:41 AM

Thanks, I think I'll do that. I don't have a Windows 7 repair disk, so for a temporary fix, I just used Ubuntu on a pen drive, copied the Grub folder from 'boot', put it inside Windows' boot folder, and problem (sort of) solved. Thanks!

szboardstretcher · 02-18-2011, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kemtnbkr

Thanks, I think I'll do that. I don't have a Windows 7 repair disk, so for a temporary fix, I just used Ubuntu on a pen drive, copied the Grub folder from 'boot', put it inside Windows' boot folder, and problem (sort of) solved. Thanks!

Its actually just a Windows 7 install disk that will do this.