Bootloader blues

**Gomek** · 2012-03-05 19:53

Greetings. A few weeks ago, I wanted to experiment with Ubuntu and installed it on my laptop, no problems. I got a little crazy and installed it on my main desktop as well. Here's the situation. I am not sure what I did, but at one point, the windows boot loader gave me the choice between the two, then I wanted to get rid of Ubuntu on my desktop and deleted the Linux partition. When I rebooted the GRUB loader (Linux) gave me an error and a prompt. So, I reloaded Ubuntu and now I have to manually select windows from the GRUB list before it times out. Now, I "do not" have a Windows 7 install disk being that I bought an HP pavilion and all it has is a recovery partition without the option to fix the MBR. How can I go about deleting the Linux partition and reinstall the windows boot loader without the DVD? Thanks

**Budule** · 2012-03-05 20:10

I had some boot problems if you look at this thread....... http://windowssecrets.com/forums/sho...ery-enviroment

was told about this which worked like a charm...... http://download.cnet.com/EasyBCD/300...-10556865.html

EDIT:....i forgot to mention im an idiot and this may not pertain to you

**Gomek** · 2012-03-05 20:28

Thank you very much for the reply. I went and installed EasyBCD and checked to see what bootloader were loaded and it only metioned and shows the windows boot loader, which of course there's more because GRUB takes over right away. Like I mentioned, I know my way around the keyboard but I'm afraid of doing something to render the whole system unbootable. Is there something else I should be doing with EasyBCD?

Originally Posted by Budule

I had some boot problems if you look at this thread....... http://windowssecrets.com/forums/sho...ery-enviroment

was told about this which worked like a charm...... http://download.cnet.com/EasyBCD/300...-10556865.html

EDIT:....i forgot to mention im an idiot and this may not pertain to you

**Budule** · 2012-03-05 20:54

I remember having some trouble when i installed ubantu on mine getting rid of it.....i think i used the disc and did a "repair" though.....if you have an xp disc you may be able to repair the MBR but im not sure......

**RetiredGeek** · 2012-03-05 21:13

Gomek,

Read this Microsoft article on System Repair. Note the link to Creating a system repair disk and follow the instructions. If you can't get that far you can download search hear for Win 7 Image I know there were some posts where you could download a Win 7 image with SP 1 included you can use this disk do do the boot loader repair.

Hopefully, you have an Image Backup if not you might want to make one using Macrium Reflect or the tool of your choice first.

Now that you have a tool to recover if you screw up with EasyBCD go ahead and use it. I've used it several times to recover problems and never had a problem. See here for an example.

**Gomek** · 2012-03-05 21:29

Thanks. Does the back up feature in windows create a true image of the disk like Acronis would? I'm very close to solving this, but if I could just skip ahead a bit for a moment please. Once I delete the Linux partition, how can I get it to back the way it was, I have to resize it right? I'm sure I can do that in "computer management" right? Right now, if I were to delete the partition, GRUB2 loader would error out and just give me a prompt. I want Linux on my laptop to experiment but I was a little too over zealous and should have ran it strictly as liveCD but choose to install along side Windows thinking I could uninstall it like any other app, I know slap me with a wet noodle.

**Medico** · 2012-03-06 06:09

The Win 7 System Repair Disk will fix the MBR automatically, at least it did for me. The Win 7 Backup and Restore is a basic System Imaging app similar to Acronis without the feature set of Acronis or Macrium Reflect or most of the other 3rd party Imaging apps.

Once you delete Linux from the Win 7 Disk Management console, resize your Win 7 partition to reclaim your disk space. Pop in the System Repair disk when you reboot. It should see the problem with the MBR and offer to fix it without having to do much else, at least mine did. Then you should be able to reboot into Win 7.

**Gomek** · 2012-03-06 07:38

Thank you for the reply. I realise this is bordering on silly, but I just want to make sure that this is the same recovery disk you make in backup and restore. Because when I boot in to the "recovery partition" on my hard it's similar as the recovery disk I made and didn't have the option to repair the MBR? I'll try again, thanks.
Quick side note, This isn't that serious of an issue, windows works fine configured the way it is, Linux doesn't really bother much, and I'm very close to fixing it where it will boot into windows automatically with GRUB2. I really do appreciate all the help you and others have given, it's done wonders to expand my knowledge of the boot process and partitions.

Thanks

Originally Posted by Ted Myers

The Win 7 System Repair Disk will fix the MBR automatically, at least it did for me. The Win 7 Backup and Restore is a basic System Imaging app similar to Acronis without the feature set of Acronis or Macrium Reflect or most of the other 3rd party Imaging apps.

Once you delete Linux from the Win 7 Disk Management console, resize your Win 7 partition to reclaim your disk space. Pop in the System Repair disk when you reboot. It should see the problem with the MBR and offer to fix it without having to do much else, at least mine did. Then you should be able to reboot into Win 7.

**Just Plain Fred** · 2012-03-06 08:07

Originally Posted by Gomek

but I just want to make sure that this is the same recovery disk you make in backup and restore. Because when I boot in to the "recovery partition" on my hard it's similar as the recovery disk I made and didn't have the option to repair the MBR? I'll try again, thanks.

Gomek,
Hello... A "Recovery Partition" is not a "Repair Disk" . The Recovery Partition usually comes pre-installed with your PC ...It has your original OS on it as it comes from the factory...

A "Repair Disk" is made by you ...on it it has several options ... There is no "Repair MBR" option stated ... However it will fix your MBR problems if you chose the "Startup Repair option" ...See Screen Shot

Regards Fred

**Medico** · 2012-03-06 16:15

The Win 7 Repair Disk actually saw my MBR problem and fixed it without me choosing anything. It reconized the problem when I booted and offered to repair it.

The Repair Disk is one of the option in Win OT the recovery partition. The recovery partition takes you back to what the factory loaded. Yuck, Don't want that garbage. The other option In Backup and Restore is to Create a System Image (or something like that. I'm working in Win 8 right now so can not look at the exact wording). I do not use Win 7 Imaging. I use a 3rd party app for that chore. Much more full featured. But for the System Repair Disk, you can not beat the Win 7 Repair Disk. As Fred states this will include the Win 7 Repair Environment.

**Gomek** · 2012-03-07 07:16

Thanks again for all the help! I changed my mind even through I really appreciate the advice and will remember it for next time, I decided to go into the Linux bootloader GRUB and change the order of the OS boot. I didn't mean to take a simple issue and make it so convulated, but I have W7 working just fine and I want to make sure especially with the bootloader I don't do something to make it not boot at all. At least now I'm more farmilar with recovery disks and options, thanks.

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