AAAAAGGGHHH!!!
Grub is in the MBR. There is no Linux installation for it to boot into, therefore error 17. It hangs there and will not access the WinXP installation. Machine has no floppy. CD ROM is set to boot first in BIOS. Using Linux LIVE CD, Linux installation CD, or WinXP Install CD at boot it goes directly to Grub.

How can I change, fix, or eliminate Grub with a CD I could burn, or how do I get it to recoginise any of the aforementioned CDs, or is there something else to try ?

Machine is an IBM T21 900Mhz P3 256MB RAM 20GB drive DVD/CD ROM USB port Ethernet card.

Boot with the Windows XP Installation CD* and use the recovery console to issue the 'fixmbr' and maybe 'fixboot' commands.

* This is truly a Windows XP Installion CD and not one of the nasty recovery CD's correct???

The WinXP Pro full install CD, just like the Linux install CDs and Linux LIVE CDs, does nothing. The machine goes directly to Grub, and thence error 17.

Attempted Linux install CDs:
SuSE 10.0
Mandriva Free 2006
Ubuntu 6.04
Attempted LIVE CDs:
Adios
Santa Fe
Knoppix
Slax 5.0.6

Also try this command at DOS prompt:
fdisk /mbr
fixmbr had at once erased all of my harddisk before I could realize what was happening.
Take care! It is window world.

There is no DOS prompt. There is only a black screen, then Grub 1.5, and finally Error 17.

boot from the Windows installion disc and access the recovery console. It is a Dos prompt

Seriously, have you not read any of bookmonger's posts? His problem is that he CAN'T boot from CD :/.

Oh, so sorry.
The you can do it that way:
Boot from a win98 startup flopy disk.
Replace the disk content with the file in C:\ folder.
Then you can use that disk to boot into windows XP
Inside window you can open a dos prompt.

Sounds like it isn't recognising the CD drive.
Pull the hard disk out (just pull out the cable or power).

Then see if it boots the CD - if not, well your problem is larger than grub in the MBR.

OK, re-read the post, no floppy no booting from the CD/DVD drive got it.

Hopefully when grub fails you are left at the grub prompt; grub>

If yes, then try typing each line below one at a time pressing the 'Enter' key after each line;

rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
makeactive
boot

If this does not work try using (hd0,1) instead and repeat the commands.

If no, then as an experiment, remove the hard drive (unplugging the IDE cable is good enough) from the system and try booting with a known bootable CD, does this CD boot?

Does any known bootable CD boot the system with or without the hard drive in place?

Where I am so far:
You can disable the hard drive from BIOS on this machine. No help, but not the same as physically removing the drive. That was problematic - it was very "stiff" and required far more "firmness" than was comfortable. With the drive removed, nothing, but then - duh - put back the battery !

The WinXP CD produced nothing but chatter. The Linux LIVE CDs simply wouldn't boot. The Linux install CDs were interesting - they all ended with the message: No Operating System Found. I'm stumped at the moment, but with the hard drive extricated, I'll hook it up to my main machine. I'll let you know. <crosses fingers>

???? - noise or text "chatter". I presume the former. That sounds like a BIOS message. Means that the box *isn't* using the CD for boot.
Is this a laptop by any chance ??? - may need a special key to boot the CD. My Dell uses F12 to create a "one-time" boot menu including the CD, my old Toshiba needs the <C> held down during reboot.
See the user guide.

Did my cheat with floopy work?
I see it on a window magazine to recovery windows when It get MBR problem.
And also, Did Lenard suggestion work?

Get Hirens boot cd and goto partion tools and smart fdisk. tell it to fix mbr and it will ask you what you want to load.
Have the same problem . Now fixed