Grub issue

[Lydon]

I got a new netbook a few weeks back. A mate set everything up for me, and decided to split the hard drive into three partitions.

The first is of around 69GB, and contains Windows 7 on it. The second was around 71GB, and contained Ubuntu on it. The third is around 3GB, and I have no idea what its purpose is.

I decided that I no longer wanted Ubuntu on the netbook, as I never used it, and wanted to make use of the additional partition in Windows 7. I proceeded to format the partition containing Ubuntu to NTFS from within Windows 7. I was able to access said partition in Windows 7 once this was complete.

The problem came when I restarted the netbook. I get the following error:

error: unknown filesystem
grub rescue>

From what I understand, during setup my friend must have chosen to use Grub as the default boot loader, and as a result now that Ubuntu is gone, and Grub along with it, it has no default boot loader.

Is there a simple way to get the system to use the default Windows boot loader? Unfortunately, considering it's a netbook it doesn't have a CD/DVD drive, so that's complicated my life a bit.

I'm completely clueless regarding this so please do lay it out simply The information I've been able to find otherwise has been very confusing. Thanks

 

[MyWorld]

What make of netbook is it? Some of them have a hidden recovery partition that you can access from the BIOS to repair your Windows installation to factory default, however some netbooks only allow access to this partition through the original windows boot loader. Check your documentation that you got with the netbook, maybe you are in luck?

Alternatively, if you have the windows 7 original, legal, non-pirated ISO somewhere (if not, get it from a friend, as long as you have a license for Win7) you can put it on a 4Gb USB flash drive and boot from this and repair the MBR.
There is a tool on the Microsoft website to burn Win7 ISO to usb:
http://store.microsoft.com/Help/ISO-Tool

 

[Lydon]

It came with Windows XP installed on it. He installed Windows 7, so unfortunately the repair doesn't look like an option

 

[ponder]

What I don't get is that grub is usually not installed in a partition but on the main drive so deleting the partition will leave grub intact.

Anyway, do you have another system you can create a bootable flash disk with? Create a bootable flash key with the HP utility and copy GAG to it, http://gag.sourceforge.net/.
Boot from the flash disk and install GAG to the MBR. Reboot and now you can write the original MBR back from the Win7 command line.
http://thepcspy.com/read/bootable_usb_flash_drive/

 

[MyWorld]

Grub is installed in the MBR (main boot record) and deleting the Linux installation with all the config files and kernel it needs and points to to function properly will mess up your boot.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=17783

 

[Nod]

If you have a Windows 7 DVD, follow this: http://www.ehow.com/how_4836283_repair-mbr-windows.html

 

[ponder]

Grub is installed in the MBR (main boot record) and deleting the Linux installation with all the config files and kernel it needs and points to to function properly will mess up your boot.

Ah forgot about the /boot folder because I have a seperate /boot partition

 

[kingrob]

Unfortunately, considering it's a netbook it doesn't have a CD/DVD drive, so that's complicated my life a bit.

Get yourself an external USB DVD drive, will make your life a lot easier.

If you still have the Windows 7 DVD, simply boot from it, choose "Repair" and it should repair your installation for you.

I got myself a LG external DVD writer for R499, much much faster than my built-in laptop DVD drive.