formatting the MBR

[tommason]

Hi,

I have had vista installed for a while on my computer and recently decided to try dual booting ubuntu. Stupidly, after some time trying to get ubuntu running, I gave up and deleted the linux partition. This has left me with 'Grub' (the ubuntu linux boot loader) trying to load and not letting me run vista as it changes/replaces the mbr.

I have deleted and formatted the vista partition using various programs (partition magic etc) but each time i attempt to boot from my vista DVD to reinstall (AND my girlfriend's XP CD) i still get the Grub 22 error even though i have set the BIOS to boot only from CD (Ubuntu live CD boots fine)

Want I want to do now is delete/replace the MBR to get rid of this. Are the xp and vista mbrs different?, I was thinking of removing the hard drive from my girlfriend's xp machine and sticking my drive in and using the xp partitioning program on the CD to format my drive (i assume this woiuld add an xp mbr???) I am wary about using my vista one because of the hardware differences???

Is this the correct direction to take?

Cheers!

Tom

[aidanjt]

As soon as the CD starts spinning up, hit 'any key' when prompted.

[charleski]

If you're getting the GRUB 22 error your system is booting off the HD, double-check your settings.

Once you can boot with your Vista DVD, select the language, hit Next and then select 'Repair'. This should put you into the Windows Recovery Environment. You then need to fix the mbr of your hard disk to wipe out GRUB.

[tommason]

As soon as the CD starts spinning up, hit 'any key' when prompted.

the 'press any key' option doesn't appear, it just restarts (bleep)

[tommason]

If you're getting the GRUB 22 error your system is booting off the HD, double-check your settings.

I've redoubled my efforts to redouble check it! seriously, it is set to boot from the DVD drive and not the hard drive, and just restarts when both an xp and vista DVD/CD are in the drive.....very bemusing and frustrating

[charleski]

Do you have more than 1 optical drive? If so check that you've put the disk in the right one. Can you remove the HD from the BIOS boot list completely?

[tommason]

anyone have any ideas?

[Fraz]

Try booting from a floppy or usb stick and fdisk?

This is a Quad GT right?

[tommason]

Try booting from a floppy or usb stick and fdisk?

This is a Quad GT right?

Yep QuadGT - have never booted from either of those before, do i not need to have made a boot disk beforehand?....I thought FDisk wasn't on either XP or Vista?

[tommason]

Do you have more than 1 optical drive? If so check that you've put the disk in the right one. Can you remove the HD from the BIOS boot list completely?

Yep more than 1 optical, have, made sure it is in the correct one.....and have had all three options turned to boot from optical drive!!!

[tommason]

I have also 'lost' about 4Gb of my hard disk size....it's a 74Gb Raptor and only reports about 70 in partition magic....

[charleski]

The first step is to get your system booting from the optical drive, I'm not sure why you're having problems there. Disconnect everything except the optical drive with your Vista DVD and check that it boots to Vista setup. Then connect the HD on which you want to setup the OS to a different SATA port than the one it was on originally and see if you still get the GRUB error.

[tommason]

The first step is to get your system booting from the optical drive, I'm not sure why you're having problems there. Disconnect everything except the optical drive with your Vista DVD and check that it boots to Vista setup. Then connect the HD on which you want to setup the OS to a different SATA port than the one it was on originally and see if you still get the GRUB error.

Have disconnected everything except the two optical drives, vista DVD in and it just restarts.....

[tommason]

ubuntu live cd boots fine

[charleski]

I can only conclude that your Vista DVD is faulty.

[tommason]

MOVEMENT!
so, i unplugged my DVDR and floppy drives...and now both the vista DVD and XP DVD seem to be booting, however, when i attach the hard drive it gives me the grub 22 error again...
The slightly weird thing is that while trying to boot my xp disk on my DVDR drive it hung after 'verifying dmi pool data' - i bashed some keys and a little smiley face came up in DOS type script....