Can't boot into Windows!!

[dasinger]

Hi,

I think I've kinda killed my computer I have 2 hard drives and I set it up to dual boot a while ago into Windows XP and Linux using Grub bootloader. I think Linux set all this up for me, I haven't got the foggiest of how to use it.

Well, I now don't need Linux any more, so I deleted the Linux partitions on the 2nd drive from within the Windows 'Computer Management' screen.

Problem is, every time I turn on my computer it just goes straight to a GRUB command prompt, and I can't boot into Windows no matter what I try.

I've tried using the XP installation CD to fix the boot sector (whatever that means) and no success. I've run the 'Fix an XP installation' thing and that hasn't worked either.

Does anyone know what I need to do to get this GRUB thing to pi*s off??

Cheers

[bushmaster]

which version of Linux did you use ?.

[dasinger]

Red Hat Linux 7.3, then re-installed to 8.0, then installed 7.2 (as the libraries I wanted to use only seemed to work in 7.2). The GRUB version is 0.9.

[stix_kua]

I think the Sstem tools and Administrator disk that came with Red Hat 8.0 has a utuilty to fix the boot sector... i'll keep any eye out for one

[dasinger]

Well the system boots to a GRUB console, can I not configure GRUB through that to boot to the Windows partition?

[dasinger]

We managed to figure out how to get it to boot, we had to type chainloader=+1 and then type boot.

However I then went and did a full format of the 2nd Hard drive so I could reuse it (I only did a quick format before) and now when it boots it just says 'GRUB' and doesn't even take me to a command line. I can't seem to get it to do anything.

What the hell's going on?

[bushmaster]

If you can boot from the 1st install cd there is an option to "rescue" your installation. Once in the rescue dialogue you can choose to restore the windows bootloader.

[dasinger]

How?? I've gone through 2 windows 'restore' things. I've done the restore from console thing which gives you a command prompt and allows you to type commands to do with the bootloader, but that all seems set correctly. I've also done a full restore windows install, but that didn't do anything.

Would someone mind expanding on this?

[mrrobotto]

Here is two sources of information that might help you out if you haven’t already been using them. The second one has an FAQ and how to overwrite it if you want to get rid of it. It cannot be uninstalled. Hope this helps. Good Luck!

http://www.fifi.org/doc/grub-doc/html/grub_toc.html

http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/

[cusimar9]

Hi, this is me back on my own computer! Thanks for the links mrrobotto just in case you guys ever have to do this, this is how I fixed it:

Using WinXP cd go to recovery console. You have a list of commands you can use. Type FIXMBR and it magically overwrites the current master boot record with something that makes sense. Easy when you know how...

Thanks again guys

[mrrobotto]

Your welcome glad you got lined out. Happy computing.