reinstalling Mandrake9.1/WinXP w/grub problems

[Moparmike]

Toshiba Satellite Pro M10-s405:
I pooched my Winders install, so I whipped out the restore CDs and did a restore before thinking out the consequences...

Now, I have no Linux left on the drive. I have the WinXP image (the restore CD is basically a Norton Ghost image) reloaded.
BUT...grub is still in the MBR and it looks like I need a crash course on how to do an "fdisk /mbr" to restore the MBR.

I'm finding several lists/dictionaries of grub commands but I'm in over my head on how to setup a string to boot to either my HD (Windows) or the CD-drive. I do have a normal WinXP CD so I can do "FDSIK /MBR" and get the HD back in shape.

Or...I'm open for other suggestions too. Thanks!!!

[bsm2001]

Just put the mdk cd in and hit f1 type rescue then at the menue hit restore win bootloader then hit enter then reboot

[Moparmike]

Thanks, but that won't work.

As soon as the rig boots up, it goes straight into grub and all I have to work with is a "grub>" prompt. I believe I need to put a string together that will boot the CD (either WinXP or Mandrake)


Another question for when I get this straightened out:
If I place my Linux bootloader (grub or LILO) into a location other than the MBR will I be able to avoid this problem in the future?

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by Moparmike

I'm finding several lists/dictionaries of grub commands but I'm in over my head on how to setup a string to boot to either my HD (Windows) or the CD-drive. I do have a normal WinXP CD so I can do "FDSIK /MBR" and get the HD back in shape.


Since you do not have Linux on your HD anymore, you will not be able to edit the Grub config to add a section for XP.

Why not boot with the XP cd into the ?? emergency console and run

fixmbr

As to your last question about where to install the Linux bootloader in future... I always have a separate /boot partition at the beginning of the HD. Primary/30MB and set as the active partition. I never, ever install any bootloaders into the mbr (Windows doesn't).

[Moparmike]

Thanks everyone.
The reason I wasn't just going straight to my WinXP CD to do "fdisk /mbr" or "fixmbr" is because the hardware key (esc & F1) to access the BIOS wasn't working properly so I couldn't set the BIOS to boot straight from the CD.
After many keypresses, it started working so I was good to go.

After a good night's sleep, I'm reinstalling and am planning to put the bootloader anywhere else than the MBR.