[HOW TO] Get back your Windows XP Bootloader

By Aaron
in HOW TO & FAQ Guides

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Grand Master

Aaron Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

If for some reason you find the need to get back to your Windows XP bootloader instead of the one installed by your Linux distro, simply follow these instructions:

1. Boot up with your Windows XP disc.

2. Select the option Recovery Console.

3. At the prompt, type "fdisk /mbr" (without the quotes of course)

4. Restart your computer.

Edited with correct info from the following posts...

Grand Master

QuarterSwede

Posted
Posted (edited)
For me and some others you might need to type "fdisk /mbr" instead of "fixmbr"

just thought I'd add that before people start saying it doesn't work

585566261[/snapback]

Hahaha, you beat me to it!

Yeah, Fixmbr and Fixboot both don't work. I know, I've tried several times. All they do is jack up the NTLoader.

Edited by Jstphish
Collaborator

Mr. Dick C. Normous

Posted
Posted (edited)
is there a way to recover the winlogin.exe

585566297[/snapback]

Of course there is :) Boot into the recovery console and use this command.

expand d:\i386\winlogon.ex_ c:\windows\system32\winlogon.exe

D: = drive Xp cd is in

C: = drive Xp is installed on

Edited by Mr. Dick C. Normous
Grand Master

markwolfe Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted
Jeez, leave it to me to have a typo in my very first HOW TO.  Mark, fix that would ya?

585566188[/snapback]

Not a problem. Done.

You should always be able to go back and edit your first post. All members are able to do this. At least that is how I understand it to work. :unsure:

And, by the way, thanks for the quick write-up! This gets asked an awful lot.

  • 3 weeks later...
Veteran

Krpano

Posted
Posted
Hahaha, you beat me to it!

Yeah, Fixmbr and Fixboot both don't work.  I know, I've tried several times.  All they do is jack up the NTLoader.

585566400[/snapback]

Agreed with that.

It always mess with the NTLoader.....arghhhhhh...gotta hate windows.

  • 5 weeks later...
Grand Master

markwolfe Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted
fdisk /mbr does not work for me. I've even ran a search on my XP box for 'fdisk'...and it's not on here.

Is there a way that actually works? shall I try the 'fixmbr' command and see if that works - because I really don't wanna' mess up my system.

585823046[/snapback]

I have always used fdisk /mbr, but I pretty much stopped using Windows right about the start of the XP days, so I can't say for sure which command is supported in XP. Both are equivalent commands, so they are both safe (and set the MBR back to the MS default)

Rising Star

mikey1001

Posted
Posted
I have always used fdisk /mbr, but I pretty much stopped using Windows right about the start of the XP days, so I can't say for sure which command is supported in XP.  Both are equivalent commands, so they are both safe (and set the MBR back to the MS default)

585830160[/snapback]

If you have MS Windows 95/98/ME installed, click on Start >> Run. Type in "command", without the quotes, and press Enter. At the command prompt, type in the command "fdisk /mbr" to reinstall the Windows bootloader into the MBR.

If you have MS Windows 2000/XP installed, you will need to have the Windows Installation CD. Insert the Installation CD into your CD-ROM drive and reboot your computer. When Windows Setup loads up, follow the onscreen instructions to open the Recovery Console. At the Recovery Console command prompt, type in the command "fixmbr" to reinstall the Windows bootloader into the MBR.

Slight difference in the OS's.

Neowinian

dmdsoftware

Posted
Posted

Ok folks.

Fixmbr and fixboot are not working for me. It says it has revised the boot sector etc, but when I restart the computer it still says the hard drive is not bootable. Tried from the Windows XP CD. The options are limited - it won't let you run anything but what is listed under help (so, no fdisk, sys, etc).

I'm getting very frustrated. I tried reinstalling XP, but it simply copies files over to the HD, resets the computer and then tries to boot from the hard drive (which it cannot do).

I'm lost for a solution.

Grand Master

markwolfe Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted
Ok folks.

Fixmbr and fixboot are not working for me.  It says it has revised the boot sector etc, but when I restart the computer it still says the hard drive is not bootable.  Tried from the Windows XP CD.  The options are limited - it won't let you run anything but what is listed under help (so, no fdisk, sys, etc).

I'm getting very frustrated.  I tried reinstalling XP, but it simply copies files over to the HD, resets the computer and then tries to boot from the hard drive (which it cannot do).

I'm lost for a solution.

585845486[/snapback]

I am not sure why your XP is refusing to boot. Really, all that needs to be done is get Windows to restore the MBR and you are done.

What I would recommend at thsi point (you did try a Win98 boot disk from http://www.bootdisk.com/ right?) is that you back up whatever data you can - use a Knoppix LiveCD if you must to get access to your data. Then fdisk and remove all partitions and reinstall XP completely from scratch. You may have some bad data in your partition table that prevents it from accessing the correct Microsoft data outside the MBR.

  • 3 months later...
Collaborator

diamonds

Posted
Posted

The easiest way to fix this problem (I know, ive had to do it quite a few times) is to go on and start the installion, and format the drive. THEN go into the recovery console and in this order type fixmbr then fixboot and reinstall windows. I have not yet figured out how to keep windows on a seperate partition and have it still boot

Community Regular

PsychCom

Posted
Posted
I am not sure why your XP is refusing to boot.  Really, all that needs to be done is get Windows to restore the MBR and you are done.

What I would recommend at thsi point (you did try a Win98 boot disk from http://www.bootdisk.com/ right?) is that you back up whatever data you can - use a Knoppix LiveCD if you must to get access to your data.  Then fdisk and remove all partitions and reinstall XP completely from scratch.  You may have some bad data in your partition table that prevents it from accessing the correct Microsoft data outside the MBR.

585847112[/snapback]

dont need to start fdisk. just use the windows xp or 2000 cd and format there then reboot.

about people not getting this to work. not taking you all for stupid or anything like that, i would say check if the error says ntloader missing, if so you have to copy it from the xp cd. that is a whole other operation i dont have at hand rigth now. *there work houres are done, driving home*

Experienced

protoss_chaos

Posted
Posted
If for some reason you find the need to get back to your Windows XP bootloader instead of the one installed by your Linux distro, simply follow these instructions:

1.  Boot up with your Windows XP disc.

2.  Select the option Recovery Console.

3.  At the prompt, type "fixmbr" (without the quotes of course)

4.  Restart your computer.

585565400[/snapback]

Better hope u only have on partition, or you will trash them all (well, they will exist, but u won't be able to boot them)!!! You should warn people ahead of tyme....

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