Need to fixmbr but Dell supplied disk doesn't seem to work

[Keith Snyder]

I have a Dell Inspiron 4700 which I'm running as a dual boot, Windows XP SP3
on the main drive,
and Fedora 10 on the second.

Grub is the boot loader.

Unfortunately, the second drive is failing, and it contains the XP boot
loader that was squirrelled away
by Grub. I've managed to boot but very soon, the Windows boot program on the
Linux drive will become inaccessible.

Sooner or later, I will have power down, then it will be questionable if I
can start anything.

So I need to fixmbr.

The Dell supplied disk, XP Home Edition, SP2, go into rescue mode.
I have no idea what's wrong.

I do have another XP2 disk for a second machine. Can I use it?

Sorry if this isn't too clear.

All advice appreciated.

 

[Keith Snyder]

Correction below.

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

I have a Dell Inspiron 4700 which I'm running as a dual boot, Windows XP
SP3 on the main drive,
and Fedora 10 on the second.

Grub is the boot loader.

Unfortunately, the second drive is failing, and it contains the XP boot
loader that was squirrelled away
by Grub. I've managed to boot but very soon, the Windows boot program on
the Linux drive will become inaccessible.

Sooner or later, I will have power down, then it will be questionable if I
can start anything.

So I need to fixmbr.

The Dell supplied disk, XP Home Edition, SP2, go into rescue mode.
I have no idea what's wrong.

I do have another XP2 disk for a second machine. Can I use it?

Sorry if this isn't too clear.

All advice appreciated.

There are several ways to deal with this issue. Here is one of them:
1. Boot the machine into Recovery Mode, using your WinXP CD.
2. Type the Administrastor password when prompted.
3. Type the following commands:
fixmbr
fixboot
exit

 

[smlunatick]

There are several ways to deal with this issue. Here is one of them:
1. Boot the machine into Recovery Mode, using your WinXP CD.
2. Type the Administrastor password when prompted.
3. Type the following commands:
    fixmbr
    fixboot
    exit

OP stated the machine is a DELL so the CD might be a "recovery CD" and
not a XP install CD.

I was able to get the Recovery Console to be downloaded onto my PC and
it created another Boot menu option. I do not recall where or how.

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

There are several ways to deal with this issue. Here is one of them:
1. Boot the machine into Recovery Mode, using your WinXP CD.
2. Type the Administrastor password when prompted.
3. Type the following commands:
fixmbr
fixboot
exit

OP stated the machine is a DELL so the CD might be a "recovery CD" and
not a XP install CD.

==================

OP also stated that he has an XP CD from another machine. And as I said,
there are other methods. I'm waiting for the OP's feedback.

 

[Keith Snyder]

OP stated the machine is a DELL so the CD might be a "recovery CD" and
not a XP install CD.

==================

OP also stated that he has an XP CD from another machine. And as I said,
there are other methods. I'm waiting for the OP's feedback.

I'll try the XP CD from the second machine. The Dell CD doesn't seem to give
me a recovery mode.

fixboot I don't understand. I thought I only had to fixmbr.

It will be a few days before I get back to you all with results due to
pressing family issues. In the
meantime I have essential data backed up and I'm using the 2nd machine.

FWIW, the Dell CD says
Reinstallation CD
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Including Service Pack 2

I vaguely remember fixing the mbr with the second machine's XP CD a couple
of times before, and I don't
think I ever used the Dell CD. But I'm not sure.

Give me a few more words on fixboot.

Thanks

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

I'll try the XP CD from the second machine. The Dell CD doesn't seem to
give me a recovery mode.

fixboot I don't understand. I thought I only had to fixmbr.

It will be a few days before I get back to you all with results due to
pressing family issues. In the
meantime I have essential data backed up and I'm using the 2nd machine.

FWIW, the Dell CD says
Reinstallation CD
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Including Service Pack 2

I vaguely remember fixing the mbr with the second machine's XP CD a couple
of times before, and I don't
think I ever used the Dell CD. But I'm not sure.

Give me a few more words on fixboot.

Thanks

Fixboot and fixmbr are two commands you type while in Recovery Console mode.
However, if you do not have the required WinXP installation CD to get you
into the Recovery Console there is no point in dwelling on these commands.
Here is an alternative method to restore the Master Boot Record:

1. Download a DOS 7 boot CD image or diskette image from www.bootdisk.com.
2. Create a boot CD/diskette.
3. Boot your machine with this bood CD/diskette.
4. Run this command:
fdisk /MBR
5. Run this command:
fdisk
Make sure that the WinXP partition is marked "active".

 

[Keith Snyder]

Fixboot and fixmbr are two commands you type while in Recovery Console
mode. However, if you do not have the required WinXP installation CD to
get you into the Recovery Console there is no point in dwelling on these
commands. Here is an alternative method to restore the Master Boot Record:

1. Download a DOS 7 boot CD image or diskette image from www.bootdisk.com.
2. Create a boot CD/diskette.
3. Boot your machine with this bood CD/diskette.
4. Run this command:
fdisk /MBR
5. Run this command:
fdisk
Make sure that the WinXP partition is marked "active".

I can't find DOS 7 at the site. I find DrDOS 7.3, and there is a small
charge to download. Is DrDOS 7.3
what you mean? No objections to paying, but I want to be sure I get the
right DOS.

The Dell does not have a floppy, so I must have a bootable CD.

I do not understand instruction 5, fdisk. Isn't fdisk used to partition the
drive?

BTW, Dell SATA disks have 3 partitions. In Linux (fdisk -l) terms
sda1 'de' Dell Utilities
sda2 NTFS Windows
sda3 'db' Factory restore

I don't want to repartition.

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

I can't find DOS 7 at the site. I find DrDOS 7.3, and there is a small
charge to download. Is DrDOS 7.3
what you mean? No objections to paying, but I want to be sure I get the
right DOS.

The Dell does not have a floppy, so I must have a bootable CD.

I do not understand instruction 5, fdisk. Isn't fdisk used to partition
the drive?

BTW, Dell SATA disks have 3 partitions. In Linux (fdisk -l) terms
sda1 'de' Dell Utilities
sda2 NTFS Windows
sda3 'db' Factory restore

I don't want to repartition.

DOS7 is the same as Windows 98 SE.

Fdisk.exe has many functions. One of them is to create a Master Boot Record,
another to mark a partition as "active".

 

[Keith Snyder]

DOS7 is the same as Windows 98 SE.

Fdisk.exe has many functions. One of them is to create a Master Boot
Record, another to mark a partition as "active".

That will do it, thanks. I happen to have 98 SE also.

 

[Bill Blanton]

Does fdisk /mbr do any damage?

Not usually. However, if the end of sector signature is missing from the MBR
sector it will overwrite the partition tables.

Will it render the data on the drive
inaccessible the same way using fdisk to edit partitions does??

Not sure what you mean exactly. Running "fdisk /mbr" or "fixmbr" should
only rewrite the mbr's loader code. (except for the above rare exception)

On a
Dell pc will the Dell recover partition still be usable?

Most likely. Why do you think you need to "fdisk /mbr"(or fixmbr) ?
99% of the time that it is suggested it's unecessary. If you get to
a boot menu then there is nothing wrong with the MBR.

 

[Leigh]

Go to alt.sys.pc-clone.dell newsgroup to ask the question. There are some
very helpful people on the group. Some of them own their own computer stores
and fix Dell computers. You should find an answer there.