On my dual boot machine (Mandrake 10 and WinXP), I plan on reinstalling Linux sometime soon but for the mean time, I am interested in removing LILO so that the machine boots directly into Windows. How can I set the master boot record to my Windows system?

-Brandon

if you installed the bootloader onto a partition and not MBR, then you could simply set windows partition active and this would work. but if you did install the bootloader into MBR (which should never be done with windows on board), then I guess you'll have to grab some windows-based "fixing" program that reinstalls windoze bootloader into MBR. that's what I think....somebody here somewhere said about that once..just can't remember on which thread or what it was all about.

so, I'd say make a bootable floppy for your linux if you want to boot into it...then use windows' own tools for the MBR trick. could it be that it was made with fdisk or some similar app...? can't guarantee..sorry but I don't use windows almost at all, and never MBR with linux-windows-compilations

check google for MBR formatting (windows), that ought to give you answers.

Hi,

You just need to boot your system using dos formatted floppy disk (it may be the one which comes with Windows 9x/Me) I'm not sure but I think it's possible to create such disk in WinXP too, but you should check in Windows Help.
When you see the c:\> prompt then type fdisk/mbr <enter> - this command clears MBR and that's all

Good luck!

PS.

Installing the bootloader into MBR is a good idea I don't agree with b0uncer.

I'm going to have to agree on this too. Coincidentally, so does most of the info I've seen online and in books like Prima's "Install, Configure, and Customize Slackware Linux." Despite problems that can supposedly arrise with Windows diagnostic and virus tools thinking something is wrong (something I've never had a problem with), installing to the MBR is the way to go.

sorry robaq and spaaarky21, but I still think like that..and that's not the point of view of some dudes writing reviews or a magazine's editor or anything, but is based on what I've seen and have been forced to do. basically, installing bootloader to MBR, has crashed my dual-boot installations about 10 or 11 times for now - and this has happened to both old and new distros, redhats, gentoo and so on, and with more than one pc. I guess it's just that there exists a Windows installation too, but anyway. I haven't even (every time) done anything extraordinary - once it just went all crap when scandisk (or some other tool looking like it..a register-something or something...dunno) located an error at bootup and tried to fix it. still don't know what the heck went wrong, but I was unable to boot neither of the os'es then..

well, this is off topic..but anyway, I just wanted to say that based on my very own experiences, I'll never again install a bootloader into MBR (especially if I have another distro too on board)

and having the bootloader on a different partition has the plus side that if I want to remove or edit one distro, say Windows (that kills the bootloader if I try to reinstall it or something), I don't have to mess things up. just to change the bootable partition.

well, anyway...I'll respect (at least try to) your feelings. nice if it works for you, but it doesn't work for me, and that's why I don't use MBR-method.. "thanks, but no thanks". it's just the experience I've had..and if there's only one distro and no reason to do otherwise, maybe MBR is nice choise then.

one more thing...a bit more to this topic: what's the deal with Windows clearing MBR without asking, if you want to (re)install it? at least on the older Windozes...I'm not familiar with XP installing, but older than that. is it too much asked if it just could prompt the user for whether or not format MBR?

I think that just comes from the Microsoft mentality that they are the one and only. I think it is a safe bet to say that less than 5% of Windows users (1 out of every 20) have a dual boot setup. As a company with a commercial, proprietary OS designed for the masses, it has to be nearly foolproof. Having some random person with next to no knowledge of how a computer works decide if they want to install to the MBR or not could cause a lot of trouble for Microsoft.

As for utilities writing over the MBR, I think that many companies (including MS) have become more aware of the fact that Windows won't necessarily be the only OS on a computer any more. I guess it used to be that many utilities (include scandisk it would appear from your last post) would see the MBR being set to something other than Windows as an error or potential virus and "reset" it. I think that such examples are less common today... but apparently they still do exist

yeah I guess so then..but at least they could have put some little box on the bottom corner of the screen that had given the choise not to format MBR...at least some "escape" way well, it's not a big deal anymore, now that I don't use windows if I don't have to (why would I?)

Hi there,

I'm not sure about versions before WinNT 4.0 but I'm sure about these based on NT technology (NT, 2K, XP) THEY DO NOT USE MBR!!!
The trick is that they just need the MBR to be clear, because if it is then the first sectors of the active partition are used to boot the system.

I have an Acer laptop with WinXP and Mdk 9.2 and I can freely reinstall Windows without having to change/configure anything. Why?
Because the LILO (of course installed into MBR!) is configured to look for the Windows on hda1 - so it doesn't matter if there is installed W2K or NT.
Even if I reinstall Windows I still use LILO to boot it.

B0uncer, you were right with dualboot linux configuration (two distros on one PC), but in this situation the LILO must be installed once and just configured to be able to boot the second linux distro. If you reinstall LILO while installing the second linux you'll propably lost the ability to boot the first linux, but it's still a matter of configuration.

Regards

Sorry for my bad english

Hello all,

I have just been through the same exercise to remove the dual boot screen.

The info given in previous posts is well intended but does not work for Win XP because there is no fdisk command in this OS. I searched for hours. A boot floppy does not help either, sorry.

Here is how I finally managed to do it:

Boot the win XP and search in the help on 'recovery console'. Look how to install it and follow that.

The boot the computer and after the Linux screen, you will then get a menu, which allows you to choose 'recovery console' Choose it.

When it is up, type 'fixmbr'. This will replace the Linux affected Master boot record with a fresh windows XP one.

Whe it is done, reboot and this time choose Windows in the new boot menu (not recovery console).

When booted, look in the help file again under delete recovery console and follw the steps.

Basically you need to edit the boot.ini file and remove the line that mentiones the recovery console.

This works, I have just done it.
Let us know if it worked.

Regards,

Ben

Actually, I have a Windows emulator (VirtualPC) running Windows 95 on my Macintosh so I just went ahead and made a boot disk which included Fdisk. It seemed like less work than installing and uninstalling the recovery console just to run one DOS command. Nice to hear that the alternative works though.

In windows:

1) Download http://ouraynet.com/files/windows/ut...sks/boot98.exe

2) In windows, insert a blank floppy (or one you do not mind blanking) and click on the above.

3) When 2 is finished boot up from the floppy.

4) When booted type "fdisk /mbr" at the prompt.

5) Reboot and you will boot into windoze.

Hello again,

Berntd, you don't have to install the recovery console!
You can get to it by using the WinXP installation CD to boot the system. After the boot procedure you'll be asked whether you want to go further with the installation or you want to repair the previously installed WinXP (the same procedure in Win2K). If you choose 'repair' then you'll get into the recovery console.

If you have installed it, then don't uninstall it (this's very useful tool to repair Win installation, of course if you have to use Windows).

Regards,
Robert

Since your using Mandrake 10 Put the install disk in when it get to the splash screen hit f1. type in rescue. select restore windows boot loader and walh direct boot into windows and Linux boot.. This will not delete your linux partions. Later put the install disk back in and tell it to restore you linux boot loaded. If you want to change the default to windows and make Linux an option that can be done very easy too.