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Anyone know how to wipe a boot loader from an HD?

  • 04-07-2005 01:09PM
    #1
    J-blk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭


    Hey everyone,

    A couple of weeks back, I was playing aroung with KnoppMyth, trying to make up my mind if I would be using MythTV under Linux as a PVR. In the meantime, because I'm having certain problems with Windows XP, I want to try re-installing from scratch but I am going to this on the (blank) HD that I had KnoppMyth on.

    The problem is that after using fdisk on the HD, getting rid of all the partitions and formatting as NTFS, I can't get rid of the Linux (Knoppix) boot loader so after the first stage of XP setup, when the PC reboots, it tries to load KnoppMyth instead.

    I'm assuming this is because the boot loader in on the MBR of that drive but I have no clue how to wipe it. Any ideas? As I mentioned, the drive is empty right now, so anything that requires scrubbing all data off the drive is not a problem. Thanks.


Comments

  • #2
    kaimera
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,392 ✭✭✭✭kaimera


    use the Windows OS disk to boot and use the Recovery Console to fix the MBR.


  • #3
    nellieswellies
    Closed Accounts Posts: 238 ✭✭nellieswellies


    or fdisk /mbr


  • #4
    formatman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 794 ✭✭✭formatman


    wherever you fdisked from ...

    try instead fdisk /mbr

    if that doesn't work , I'll give you low level format utility from Gateway instructions


  • #5
    Orion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,807 ✭✭✭✭Orion


    fdisk /mbr is all that's required.

    How did you format as NFTS though - fdisk can't do that. If you're doing a full install from scratch boot from the XP cd and format as part of the installation. XP will write a new MBR anyway thus solving the problem.


  • #6
    J-blk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭J-blk


    Thanks for the replies - never heard of the /mbr switch for Fdisk before so I'll give that a go when I get home.

    @Macros42 - I formatted in NTFS through the XP installer while attempting to perform a clean install (booted from the CD). As you said, I assumed XP would take care of the MBR for me automatically, but nope, it still tries to load Knoppix on every reboot. That's why I went back to fdisk but never tried the mbr switch so far.


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  • #7
    mp3guy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,979 ✭✭✭mp3guy


    Put in the XP disk, go on through to the recovery console, and type
    FIXMBR

    all done.


  • #8
    Orion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,807 ✭✭✭✭Orion


    That's odd - it should rewrite the mbr. FDISK /MBR will sort it regardless as will mp3guy's FIXMBR.


  • #9
    J-blk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭J-blk


    Macros42 wrote:
    That's odd - it should rewrite the mbr. FDISK /MBR will sort it regardless as will mp3guy's FIXMBR.

    Sure is :). Funny thing is that I had Fedora Core 4 before Knoppix and I had no issues getting rid of it. This all started after installing KnoppMyth- it may be all down to my inexperience with Linux and something I did but... still weird.

    I'll try the suggestions here and post back, though I'm confident either the fdisk /mbr or the recovery console will sort things out. Thanks for the replies everyone.


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