Uninstall GRUB boot loader!


Recommended Posts

Is there a way to uninstall the GRUB boot loader either through a live Linux CD or some diagnostic boot CD?

Currently I've used my Toshiba restore disk to reformat my system--removing partitions containing Linux--but unfortunately it didn't do anything to the MBR, so now I have a system that will never load any OS and goes into an endless cycle of reboots whenever I hit the power button.

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/426708-uninstall-grub-boot-loader/
Share on other sites

You need to overwrite the boot sector of your partition, and the only way to do that is to use the Recovery Console and run fixboot (not fixmbr). You could also install Windows again, which would recreate the boot sector, but then you'd have an extra Windows installation...

Either way, you'll need a Windows CD, so go find one, even if it's a friend's (Y)

I've always just had to use FIXMBR and had it work every time. However, I'm not sure what you can do if you don't have the CD.

There might be the possibility that you can use a win98 boot disk and do the fixboot command. that might work... not sure...

There might be the possibility that you can use a win98 boot disk and do the fixboot command. that might work... not sure...

No, that won't work. Windows 98 boot disks don't contain ANY NT files, and as such are practically useless on NT/2000/XP machines because they run DOS. The Recovery Console is technically NT, AFAIK.

No, that won't work. Windows 98 boot disks don't contain ANY NT files, and as such are practically useless on NT/2000/XP machines because they run DOS. The Recovery Console is technically NT, AFAIK.

I do have a very old Windows NT CD. Maybe that'll work?

Or, alternatively, should I just reinstall a version of linux to get a bootloader and then uninstall the boot loader from within linux? I'd get a "Missing operating system" message the next time I boot, but I've gotten that before and the recovery disk was somehow able to correct that problem.

Again, any help would be greatly appreciated.

You have access to the i386 folder anywhere on your hard disk or a restore cd? from windows start > run > (path to i386 folder)\winnt32.exe /cmdcons will install the recovery console which can be accessed when you next boot. Then remove the grub loader as described above

what about just installing Linux and removing the MBR completely from that os? would that work?

I doubt it because you'll be left without a mbr rather than it returning to the original windows one. I think you'll have an easier time finding a copy of windows xp home (i presume)

I doubt it because you'll be left without a mbr rather than it returning to the original windows one. I think you'll have an easier time finding a copy of windows xp home (i presume)

I am pretty sure that it has to be XP Pro, as XP Home does not include the Recovery Console, so you cannot do the fixmbr thing.

I had a similar problem last night when trying a dual boot with Ubuntu and XP Pro. To fix it, I used a Mandrake install CD to get into the partitioner, blitzed all the linux partitions, setup a temp Linux partition, put Mandrake on (with LILO overwriting GRUB at the mbr) and then used the rescue mode of Mandrake to restore the XP bootloader.

That got me into Windows and then I removed the Linux partition using Partition Magic. Now back to XP Pro (single boot) and no problems whatsoever.

I doubt it because you'll be left without a mbr rather than it returning to the original windows one. I think you'll have an easier time finding a copy of windows xp home (i presume)

Yes, I would be left without an MBR, but the recovery disk appears to be able to repair it.

You could get a GRUB boot disk in order to get into windows. Then do the C:\ <path to i386> \winnt /cmdcons thing, I've done that and it works. When you reboot, it will need the GRUB boot disk again, and then it will give you the menu for XP or Recovery Console. Log in to the RC, and type fixmbr. Voila, done.

I'm pretty sure grub boot disks can boot to a hard drive, anyway.

And is anyone else wondering why this is in XP Client?

Also, sorry to say this mark, but XP Home does have the RC. I've used it.

There are also RC bootable disks, without the OS on it.

Does it not? Blimey that's a bit of a loss! Best of luck with the Linux route Jason

I suppose I could borrow a friend's XP Home or Pro CD, but i'd rather do it myself.

The problem was, when I used a SUSE Live CD to uninstall the boot loader, it didn't actually complete the operation. When the YAST2 module loaded to give me access to boot loader options, it said that there was a partitioning problem :rolleyes:

If anyone can boot a Linux LiveCD on a Windows box, they can use the dd command to copy out the MBR boot info (however many bytes that is, 446 or something), then you can use a Linux LiveCD to use the dd command to re-write it to your drive without needing to find any other utiltites.

EDIT: Yes, it is 446 bytes: http://www.diydatarecovery.nl/mbr.htm

The command dd if=/dev/hda of=/dev/hda1/mbr.bin bs=446 should work to read the MBR, and place it in a file called "mbr.bin" in the root directory of your first partition (assuming your LiveCD can write to it). You can pick a floppy or some other device, too.

You would have to get a copy of the MBR from another PC. You could do it yourself, if you have another PC.

Disclaimer: I have *NEVER* tried this personally, so cannot vouch that it will work.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • They thought value of their goods would forever only drop like it used to and didn't account for sudden increase in price because of all the Ai hype. Tough luck Samsung, don't try to weasel this one out. Also American customer protection laws are a**. In Europe, you need to be compensated for a functioning product of same or better characteristics (not same price point as when it was originally bought!) if it can't be repaired and when you receive a replacement product your warranty starts from scratch because you received a different item than you previously had and old warranty thus cannot apply to it anymore. If your actual item was successfully repaired, warranty gets extended for the period the item was in service. If item is repaired to a significant extent, warranty also starts over from scratch because major part of it was replaced. Americans need to fight to get this kind of consumer protections because they are constantly getting screwed over.
    • Microsoft releases new Windows 11 Media Creation Tool with the latest updates by Taras Buria Patch Tuesday updates arrive every month, bringing users new features and security updates. To make sure customers have access to the most recent images, Microsoft also releases updates to the Media Creation Tool app, its official utility for Windows 11 installation. Today, the company pushed new ISOs to Media Creation Tool, allowing you to create images with the June 2026 Patch Tuesday updates. With the latest update, the Media Creation Tool now downloads KB5094126. It is Windows 11 version 25H2, build 26200.8655, which is also available via Windows Update. Note that the app itself remains on the previous version, which you can check in Properties > Details. The only change is that it now downloads a more recent Windows 11 build, so the only way to check is to download an ISO. The June 2026 Patch Tuesday update is a special release for Windows 11, as it brings a new performance profile to make the operating system more responsive and snappier when rendering various user interface surfaces, including the Start menu, quick settings, and more. It does so by spiking processor speeds for a brief moment, resulting in higher loads for a second or two. The so-called “Low latency profile” is rolling out gradually, but you can force-enable it with the ViVeTool app. Other changes include webcam improvements, Task Manager updates, shared audio support, and more. You can download the Media Creation Tool app from the official Microsoft website using this link. Besides MCT, Microsoft lets you download Windows 11 ISO as a file directly from the official Windows 11 website. However, you will need a third-party app to write it to your USB drive. Check out this guide if you want to know how to do that.
    • Louis Rossmann suing Samsung over "990 Pro SSD warranty scam" by Sayan Sen Back in 2023, if you recall, Neowin reviewer Robbie Khan had a dispute with Samsung over his 990 Pro SSD, which was rapidly losing its health. After significant back and forth, the tech giant had finally released firmware to "stop" the issue. Interestingly, its previous flagship at the time, the 980 Pro was also facing problems leading to two consecutive sets of firmware fixes. Three years later, it looks like a similar conflict has now broken out between tech repair entrepreneur YouTuber Louis Rossmann and Samsung, as it has escalated into a threatened lawsuit after the company allegedly refused to appropriately replace a failing 990 Pro SSD that remained under warranty. According to Rossmann, a 4TB Samsung 990 Pro NVMe SSD purchased for approximately $330 less than two years ago, began experiencing major hiccups and issues, even though he claims it had been operated under ideal cooling conditions. It was installed in a RAID 1 array and cooled by a heatsink and dual high-speed fans. However the drive reportedly started dropping out of the array, exhibiting controller-level failures that eventually became not useable in any meaningful way. Rossmann said Samsung’s support process was marked by delays and confusion from the very start. After initially contacting the wrong regional support channel, he was redirected to Samsung’s memory support division where he submitted detailed diagnostics, logs, and proof of purchase. Rossmann runs a repair company and owns an ACE Lab PC-3000 machine, which is a professional-grade data recovery equipment. As such, he had been confident in his diagnostics. Samsung even seemingly acknowledged that later. Regardless, Rossmann claims that his initial support ticket was automatically closed before a full 24-hour response window had elapsed, forcing him to reopen the case and resubmit documentation. The controversy however intensified further from here after Samsung accepted the drive for warranty evaluation but later returned it with a repair report stating that the drive had passed its testing and that the SSD had been verified as functional. Rossmann strongly disputed those claims citing that his own independent testing on PC-3000 showed write speeds reducing to as low as 40–60 MB/s before the drive failed entirely. Samsung subsequently informed him that the SSD had been reset and reflashed, passing internal stress tests. However, the company also stated that replacement units were unavailable due to an industry-wide memory shortage and suggested that a refund process could be initiated if further testing confirmed the fault. Thus, to settle, the company offered a refund of $330, the amount that was initially paid by him to make the purchase. Here, Rossmann pointed out the seeming hypocrisy of the tech giant as in how no Samsung drive was apparently allocated for warranty replacements, but they were abundantly available for retail sales especially when using business accounts. As you can see, Rossmann is indeed right, there are Samsung 990 Pro 4TB SSDs on Amazon currently for $950 (shipped and sold by first-party Amazon US itself), and they are also available on Samsung's own store too, albeit for an even higher price of $1100. Thus Rossmann argues that Samsung’s inability or unwillingness to provide a replacement while the same model remains available for purchase at significantly higher market prices reflects a failure to honor its warranty obligations. He has issued a formal 60-day notice and says he intends to file suit in Texas small claims court, asserting that companies should face greater costs for denying legitimate warranty claims than for fulfilling them. You can check out the full video titled "Samsung's 990 Pro SSD warranty policy is a scam; I'm taking them to court," at the link below. Source and image: Louis Rossmann (YouTube) As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases
    • Was it too much to ask to show the icon in this article?
  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      davidbazooked earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Month Later
      Jamswaz earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Jamswaz earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Rookie
      Marzoid went up a rank
      Rookie
    • Community Regular
      coch went up a rank
      Community Regular
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      509
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      184
    3. 3
      +Edouard
      158
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      83
    5. 5
      ATLien_0
      75
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!