who can verify FIXMBR works?

MadSkillzMan · Jul 14, 2004

hey guys. Im gonna take another shot at linux and replace windoze eventually...

im gonna go with SuSE probably install GRUB bootloader.

Now ive done this before with mandrake 10.0. Ive removed it but still get grub. Ok fine whatever, so id go into recovery console and do FIXMBR. xp would then boot , but once it hit desktop, itd BSOD.

I had to reinstall windows. a repair didnt work....im afraid thatll happen again.

i wanna say i was told do a FIXBOOT first THEN FIXMBR, so that mite be why but i dont remember. can anyone verify that fixmbr works?

JigPu · Jul 14, 2004

I've heard FIXBOOT then FIXMBR as well. I'm not sure why this order is the one I hear all the time, but apparently it works, so who am I to question it?

JigPu

electromagnetic · Jul 14, 2004

try fdisk /mbr instead, that will just wipe the master boot record

MadSkillzMan · Jul 14, 2004

if that wipes it, then how do i boot back into windoze?

electromagnetic · Jul 14, 2004

Windows doesn't use the MBR

Aeon Flux · Jul 14, 2004

electromagnetic said:
Windows doesn't use the MBR

I've always just wiped my master boot record with the fdisk /mbr command. It's always worked beatifully for me.

johan851 · Jul 14, 2004

Just FIXMBR works for me. I did it yesterday to remove grub, and everything's great.

MadSkillzMan · Jul 14, 2004

why would i get the BSOD then if im erasing something windows doesnt even use? Also why does the CD have a tool to edit the MBR? for this purpose exactly?

The thing is, i had it set to NOT automatically restart...but it would override that and restart anyways.

Andyman902042 · Jul 14, 2004

AFAIK:

The master boot record must be used for anything to boot. After the BIOS completes the POST it searches on the first sector of the harddrive for the MBR. The MBR tells (or lets you select) which partition to load. Let's say you select windows. Then the MBR executes the code at the beginning of the windows partition. That code at the beginning of the partition starts the program that boots the OS (which is NTLDR for windows XP).

FIXMBR rewrites the master boot record (so does FDISK /mbr)
FIXBOOT rewrites the code at the beginning of the windows partition.(I think :eh?:

)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Actually I don't think the BSOD when displaying the desktop has anything to do with the MBR or the boot code of the windows partition sence you're done dealing with those as soon as you see the boot screen. Have you tried booting in safemode?

MadSkillzMan · Jul 15, 2004

when i did it yea i tried safe mode, windows repair...

it would load EVERYTHING. then wait, then BSOD. i remember disabling norton, zone alarm.(or atleast trying to)...startup stuff...just wouldnt work. and it was ONLY after i ddi the fixmbr so that had to be it. Safe mode gave me BSOD...

Im not bashin linux. i really like it. Hopefully it will replace windows. If i can get Ulead media studio pro to run in Crossover office ....thats it ...no more windows...

Oni · Jul 17, 2004

fdisk w/ the /mbr switch only works on partitions not formatted w/ NTFS. If you're using an NTFS partition, you have to use Fixboot and Fixmbr

I can verify that it works. I had to bust a Recovery Console cap in Mandrake's bitchass when I tried to do a dual boot once, and Mandrake tried to eat Windows. The only fun I've ever had w/ Linux is formatting it.

Digital_Cowboy · Jul 18, 2004

Fixmbr works. I screwed up my boot a while back and fixmbr fixed it.

OleChris · Jul 18, 2004

Instead of using fixmbr, all you need to do is boot a dos or windows ME startup disk and type in "fdisk /mbr". This will overwrite your master boot record with a fresh one, overwriting grub in the process.

Andyman902042 · Jul 18, 2004

OleChris said:
Instead of using fixmbr, all you need to do is boot a dos or windows ME startup disk and type in "fdisk /mbr". This will overwrite your master boot record with a fresh one, overwriting grub in the process.

They both do the exact same thing.

MadSkillzMan · Jul 18, 2004

so do i need fixboot at all?

Andyman902042 · Jul 18, 2004

I was saying that fixmbr and FDISK /mbr do the same thing. Fixmbr and fixboot do not. I'd do both just to be safe, it can't hurt anything.

eabeukes · Jul 19, 2004

Be careful how you use them! GRUB was on my machine and when I installed Fedora2 it somehow "shifted" my whole mbr 2 bytes over. I had to get the whole disk RMA'd because nothing would fix the MBR, not even all the fixmbr or fdisk/mr stuff. If you have access to another windows machine try to format it from there and then retry. Also, if you can get to a Win2k machine, use the disk console to upgrade the disk to a dynamic disk - worked for me for a while before GRUB killed it again.

Blimpie · Jul 19, 2004

eabeukes said:
Be careful how you use them! GRUB was on my machine and when I installed Fedora2 it somehow "shifted" my whole mbr 2 bytes over. I had to get the whole disk RMA'd because nothing would fix the MBR, not even all the fixmbr or fdisk/mr stuff. If you have access to another windows machine try to format it from there and then retry. Also, if you can get to a Win2k machine, use the disk console to upgrade the disk to a dynamic disk - worked for me for a while before GRUB killed it again.

You actually could've zero'd out the drive, and that would have fixed it. You can use numberous programs to zero a drive, it simply writes a zero to every bit available on the drive, including the master boot record. One easy way to do it, is to get eh Ultimate Boot CD, and it has a few programs that can do it for you. After you do that, you simply repartition the drive, and format the partitions you want, away you go.

MadSkillzMan, so if you want to fix your drive and dont mind losing all your data, just zero out the drive, partition, format, and reinstall. Depending on what brand drive it is, the manufacturer sometimes provides programs to do this on their website. I know that maxtor, quantum, and seagate all have programs for doing this.
Hope this helps....

MadSkillzMan · Jul 19, 2004

theyre both seagates. The linux drive is the maxtor. it has a few bad sectors and im hoping linux takes care of that upon install.

Blimpie · Jul 19, 2004

Search around on google, there are some drive utilities that can fix bad sectors. They take a LONG time to run, but they work. If your willing to purchase one, there is one called SpinRite (i think thats the name) and it actually works pretty good. A friend of mine bought it and did one of my drives that had a few bad sectors, make it work like new again.

who can verify FIXMBR works?

Member

Inactive Pokémon Moderator

Member

Member

Member

I NEED TO CONTACT SILVERSINKSAM, AS I HAVE A OUTST

Insatiably Malcontent, Senior Member

Member

Member

Member

Oni-ni-Kanab;, Ninja Hippo eater Moderator

Member

Registered

Member

Member

Member

New Member

Registered

Member

Registered

Similar threads