Can't boot - possible MBR problem

I'll try to explain this as briefly as possible.

1) My old computer won't boot. It had a 30 GB HDD-0 and a 120 GB HDD-1 originally. The original configuration was that Win XP Pro SP1 was the only OS.

2) I then installed Mandrake Linux on HDD-1 of the old computer, and installed the Linux bootloader to choose between Win XP Pro and Linux at startup.

3) I recently built a new computer, and moved HDD-1 from my old computer to my new computer (its my data store).

4) Now when I try to startup my old computer, it will only get as far as 'Verifying DMI Pool'. It then writes the letter 'L' and a string of two place binaries on the screen.



In checking to see what was wrong, I've verified that:

1) the HDD-0 is correctly installed and designated as the Master.

2) the BIOS is detecting HDD-0 in the CMOS settings section, and that HDD-0 is listed as a boot device in the Advanced BIOS settings. I've switched between the floppy & CD drives as the primary boot device as well as trying HDD-0, so that I could attempt to run emergency recovery software.

3) I'm not sure how to use all of the emergency recovery software. I have an emergency boot/diagnostic CD and an automated system recovery floppy. Using a Hitachi HD diagnostic app on the CD, I ran tests of HDD-0 that included checking every LBA, and everything is ostensibly okay.


I've read through the contents of the following two Win XP Knowledge base pages:


Troubleshooting Disks and File Systems

Troubleshooting the Startup Process

Especially "Repairing Damaged MBRs and Boot Sectors in x86-Based Computers" on the first page.

I'm positive that there was no virus involved here - I had Norton AV configured to run daily and I checked for updates twice a week.



I don't know if I've jumped over other possibilities in blaming the MBR. In reading Using the Recovery Console to Replace the MBR", it advises caution if "A nonstandard MBR is installed by a third-party disk utility." I don't know whether that is the situation - if installing the Linux bootloader made changes that will damage the partition table if I run fixmbr from the Recovery Console.

The partition table of my old computer before I removed HDD-1 assigned my entire HDD-0 as C:/. HDD-1 contained D:/ which is my Windows partition for data storage, and E:/ which is my Linux partition (and is invisible when Windows is running).


I'm not in a rush. I'd rather take sufficient time than screw things up worse than they are (if that is possible). Can anybody offer suggestions for repair, or further diagnostics to help isolate the problem?


Thanks in advance for your time and effort.

 

Hi Meanfire
fixmbr is the safest recovery method that I've seen documented.

 

Not entirely sure I understand, but when you originally set up the dual boot Linux/Windows installation was Linux the default? I mean would it boot automatically if you didn't choose Windows manually from the bootloader menue?

I've found this to be the normal mode unless specifically set up otherwise.

If that's the case then it wll simply continue searching for Mandrake, which is now in the other computer, correct?

I'm not at all familiar with Mandrake but I've created similar boot faliures when removing other Linux distro's from a dual boot system and had to redirect the bootloader manually to access Windows again. (Usually I was in a hurry and forgot a step during removal)

Try this forum or a Mandrake specifc site for more specific advise then my limited experience can provide.

Hope I've understood your problem enough to help a little.

 

RSR is right. You still have LILO on the MBR on HDD-0 for the boot loader but it's hanging because you removed the Linux OS and it doesn't know what to do.

prometheos is also probably right. Booting the XP CD and running the FixMBR should bring it back to a straight XP machine.

 

Thanks. Win XP Pro was the default OS when LILO was installed. I'll try fixmbr unless somebody replies to suggest otherwise for soem reason.

 

Have a look at the link below.May have some extra info that may help.
http://www.shadowsinmotion.com/linspire-update-boot-issue/