MBR problem

[lobodo44]

Hi there,
I installed Mandrake Linux 10.0 over my XP install but it erased the boot sector of windows so I was unable to start windows. I decided to back up the bootsector of linux and I wanted windows to put his boot sector on the drive. I started windows recovery console but I wanted him to fix the bootsector but I type FIXMBR. Now I can't boot anything nothing happen when I try to boot with no cd or disk. I know I could do something like "fdisk /mbr" but I don't know if it erase the table of partition. Help me please ....

Laurent

 

[satrow]

Boot from your XP installation disk, choose the option to use the Recovery Console - 'fixmbr' and maybe 'fixboot'.

Andy.

 

[wolluf]

Laurent,

Satrow may have sorted you out with fixboot (as you've run fixmbr - which basically does the same as fdisk /mbr - writes a standard windows master boot record. If your Linux boot manager was installed in the mbr, this will sort that). Fixboot writes a new XP boot sector (fixboot x: where x: is XP boot partition drive). You also need XP's boot sector files (ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini) in place as well as running fixboot

 

[lobodo44]

Thanks for your help guyz but nothing of this worked.... The computer try to boot from a cd and then nothing happen there is just a _ bar flashing.

 

[wolluf]

How is machine set up? XP was on - partition on first drive, with space for Linux? Did Linux istall on free space on drive, on another drive? Did you have to resize XP partition to install Linux?

 

[lobodo44]

I have 1 hd and 4 partition. One windows C:, a backup D:, a linux ext3 and a swap. I started by installing Windows on c: and after I installed Linux on my free space. But i needed to resize my d: partition after the install because i needed a swap.

Laurent

 

[wolluf]

If the XP partition on C: is intact, then apart from running fixmbr, you might need to make the partition active (active partition is what bios will try to boot from). If you haven't got a tool to do this - try

http://www.lpacomputers.telinco.co.uk/PD.zip

- run it after booting from win98 boot floppy. If it still won't boot, I'd question the integrity of the XP partition. From recovery console check that ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini are in fact all still in place, and boot.ini has correct entry to boot from 1st partition on first (only) drive.

Also - you said it tries to boot from CD - is CD before hard drive in the boot sequence?