Need to Modify XP Master Boot Record

F

FYIS.org

http://www.roxio.com/en/support/roxio_support/goback/goback_top_support_notes.html#GB3
describes the problem I had on my laptop.
I was able to restore the system, but the roxio goback 3 screen
remains/displays on bootup (even tho software is not installed).
Is there freeware to modify/reformat the Master Boot Record to eliminate
this screen, keeping just the Windows screen without having to
reinstall/restore the entire system?
Btw, I have no floppy drive, so I am unable to use any boot floppy disk.

TIA,
DanlK, FYI Services Collectibles
www.FYIS.org
 
J

jmatt

Fixing Windows 2000/XP BOOT.INI Files
http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/Q289/0/22.asp&NoWebContent=1
http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/editbini.htm

HOW TO: Edit the Boot.ini File in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/Q289/0/22.asp&NoWebContent=1
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314081
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;289022
The information in this article applies to:
* Microsoft Windows XP Professional
* Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

Repairing Corrupted or Missing Boot.ini Files
http://sft-cyber.com/Bootini.htm

http://sft-cyber.com/Re Boot.htm
If WinXP will not start, it may be due to a damaged boot sector or a
missing or corrupt ntldr or ntdetect.com files. To replace, access the
recovery console and enter:
1. Copy X:\i386\NTLDR C: (X is your CD ROM drive letter)
2. Copy X:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C:

Try using the FIXBOOT command from the Windows XP Recovery Console to
write a new boot sector on the system partition, and then use the
FIXMBR command to repair the master boot record.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/...home/using/productdoc/en/bootcons_fixboot.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/.../home/using/productdoc/en/bootcons_fixmbr.asp
 
F

FYIS.org

Fixing Windows 2000/XP BOOT.INI Files
http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/Q289/0/22.asp&NoWebContent=1
http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/editbini.htm

HOW TO: Edit the Boot.ini File in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/Q289/0/22.asp&NoWebContent=1
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314081
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;289022
The information in this article applies to:
* Microsoft Windows XP Professional
* Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

Repairing Corrupted or Missing Boot.ini Files
http://sft-cyber.com/Bootini.htm

http://sft-cyber.com/Re Boot.htm
If WinXP will not start, it may be due to a damaged boot sector or a
missing or corrupt ntldr or ntdetect.com files. To replace, access the
recovery console and enter:
1. Copy X:\i386\NTLDR C: (X is your CD ROM drive letter)
2. Copy X:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C:

Try using the FIXBOOT command from the Windows XP Recovery Console to
write a new boot sector on the system partition, and then use the
FIXMBR command to repair the master boot record.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/...home/using/productdoc/en/bootcons_fixboot.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/.../home/using/productdoc/en/bootcons_fixmbr.asp


Thanx, I've seen all of the above, but NONE explain how to remove an
unwanted boot screen (leaving just windows, not replacing the windows screen
with something else) without a full restoration of the Master Boot Record
and reinstallation of Windows.

DanlK, FYI Services Collectibles
www.FYIS.org
 
O

old jon

FYIS.org said:
http://www.roxio.com/en/support/roxio_support/goback/goback_top_support_notes.html#GB3
describes the problem I had on my laptop.
I was able to restore the system, but the roxio goback 3 screen
remains/displays on bootup (even tho software is not installed).
Is there freeware to modify/reformat the Master Boot Record to eliminate
this screen, keeping just the Windows screen without having to
reinstall/restore the entire system?
Btw, I have no floppy drive, so I am unable to use any boot floppy disk.

TIA,
DanlK, FYI Services Collectibles
www.FYIS.org
Hi Dan. Go to this site and D\load, and burn a CD copy of UBCD4.
Keep it safe. It`s worth it`s weight in gold to people with no Floppy drive
You won`t regret it. If you click on the contents link (left side of page)
it`ll tell you what`s on the disc.
http://www.ubcd4win.com/
best wishes..OJ
 
A

Al Klein

Thanx, I've seen all of the above, but NONE explain how to remove an
unwanted boot screen (leaving just windows, not replacing the windows screen
with something else) without a full restoration of the Master Boot Record
and reinstallation of Windows.

Full restoration of the MBR:

fdisk /mbr

The startup screen is a single file - the program probably replaced
the default Windows startup file with its own file. You'll have to
restore *that* little trick to get back the Windows bootup screen. (I
don't recall the name of the file, but it's a graphic file.)
 
F

FYIS.org

Al said:
Full restoration of the MBR:

fdisk /mbr

The startup screen is a single file - the program probably replaced
the default Windows startup file with its own file. You'll have to
restore *that* little trick to get back the Windows bootup screen. (I
don't recall the name of the file, but it's a graphic file.)

See originating post's problem link, the goback 3 screen was apparently
inserted just prior to the windows screen, and still appears.
If a fdisk /mbr results in my having to reinstall windows after the MBR is
restored, I don't want to have to do that.

DanlK, FYI Services Collectibles
www.FYIS.org
 
L

Larry Sabo

FYIS.org said:
http://www.roxio.com/en/support/roxio_support/goback/goback_top_support_notes.html#GB3
describes the problem I had on my laptop.
I was able to restore the system, but the roxio goback 3 screen
remains/displays on bootup (even tho software is not installed).
Is there freeware to modify/reformat the Master Boot Record to eliminate
this screen, keeping just the Windows screen without having to
reinstall/restore the entire system?
Btw, I have no floppy drive, so I am unable to use any boot floppy disk.

TIA,
DanlK, FYI Services Collectibles
www.FYIS.org


Did you try re-installing GoBack then uninstalling it? (Sorry, haven't
read the link material, if the answer is there.)

Larry
 
F

FYIS.org

Larry said:
Did you try re-installing GoBack then uninstalling it? (Sorry, haven't
read the link material, if the answer is there.)

Larry

No, like the link describes, the installation was not succesful and causes
loop in bootup (for some reason).

DanlK, FYI Services Collectibles
www.FYIS.org
 
A

Al Klein

If a fdisk /mbr results in my having to reinstall windows after the MBR is
restored, I don't want to have to do that.

It's not supposed to, and it never has for me but, as with all things
computer related, there's no guarantee.
 
J

jimpgh2002

http://www.roxio.com/en/support/roxio_support/goback/goback_top_support_notes.html#GB3
describes the problem I had on my laptop.
I was able to restore the system, but the roxio goback 3 screen
remains/displays on bootup (even tho software is not installed).
Is there freeware to modify/reformat the Master Boot Record to eliminate
this screen, keeping just the Windows screen without having to
reinstall/restore the entire system?
Btw, I have no floppy drive, so I am unable to use any boot floppy disk.

TIA,
DanlK, FYI Services Collectibles
www.FYIS.org
If you haven't already, you might try posting your question to
the NG microsoft.public.windowsxp.general.
 
R

Renan

FYIS.org escreveu:
http://www.roxio.com/en/support/roxio_support/goback/goback_top_support_notes.html#GB3
describes the problem I had on my laptop.
I was able to restore the system, but the roxio goback 3 screen
remains/displays on bootup (even tho software is not installed).
Is there freeware to modify/reformat the Master Boot Record to eliminate
this screen, keeping just the Windows screen without having to
reinstall/restore the entire system?
Btw, I have no floppy drive, so I am unable to use any boot floppy disk.

No need for any software: boot with your Windows XP install CD, use the
"recovery console" (IIRC, press R when asked) and type:

FIXBOOT
FIXMBR

I used this to remove, at 2 different times, LILO and GRUB from my MBR.

HTH
--
Thanks, Renan(tm) - Canoas, RS, Brazil.

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
-- Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment
Corp., 1977.
 
J

jmatt

"Need to Modify XP Master Boot Record"

Just to save others going down the the XP path, even though FYIS.org
asked how to modify XP, he really wanted to modify roxio goback.

The link I provided should cover that.
 
F

FYIS.org

"Need to Modify XP Master Boot Record"

Just to save others going down the the XP path, even though FYIS.org
asked how to modify XP, he really wanted to modify roxio goback.

The link I provided should cover that.

For the record, no I don't and it doesn't.
The
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPOR...rod=Norton GoBack&ver=3.0&csm=no&seg=hho&tpre
link talks of disabling goback, goback is no longer on the system just the
goback startup boot screen which indicates it is diabled.
I do not want to try to reinstall goback to disable it cuz it may very well
recreate the bootup loop that caused this in the first place.

DanlK, FYI Services Collectibles
www.FYIS.org
 
F

FYIS.org

Renan said:
FYIS.org escreveu:

No need for any software: boot with your Windows XP install CD, use
the "recovery console" (IIRC, press R when asked) and type:

FIXBOOT
FIXMBR

I used this to remove, at 2 different times, LILO and GRUB from my
MBR.

HTH

The MBR appears correct.
However, it appears that recovery console will not remove the startup
(disabled) goback boot screen, only a
FDISK /MBR will, and I am not ready to do that for the fear that I may have
to reload windows and will lose all my data.

DanlK, FYI Services Collectibles
www.FYIS.org
 
F

FYIS.org

jimpgh2002 said:
If you haven't already, you might try posting your question to
the NG microsoft.public.windowsxp.general.

Thanx, been to other microsoft.public.windowsxp help&support, done that.

DanlK, FYI Services Collectibles
www.FYIS.org
 
F

Franklin

The MBR appears correct.
However, it appears that recovery console will not remove the
startup (disabled) goback boot screen, only a
FDISK /MBR will, and I am not ready to do that for the fear that
I may have to reload windows and will lose all my data.

DanlK, FYI Services Collectibles
www.FYIS.org


Dan

FDISK /MBR will not lose all your data. "Fdisk has an undocumented
parameter called /mbr that causes it to write the master boot record
to the hard disk without altering the partition table information."
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q69013/

The MBR's partition table is not affected by that and the partition
table is what contains pointers to your hard drive's partitions.
Even if you lost the partition table there are utils which will scan
all the hard drive looking for markers signifying the beginning and
end of partitions and restore the partition table's entries.
(Assuming you do not have "logical" partitions but "primary"
partitions.)

An alterntive is to get a util which will save the old MBR to floppy
and then will allow you to FDISK the hard drive. If that FDISK
doesn't fix things for you the way you want it then use the same util
to restore the orignal MBR.

Old Jon in this thread directs you to http://www.ubcd4win.com/ which
contains a couple of such utils:

MbrFix http://www.sysint.no/Nedlasting/MbrFix.htm
mbrwiz http://mbrwizard.tripod.com/

His "UBCD" is good solution for you as you get a bootable CD when you
create the CD but many steps are needed to get there.

My own personal preference is MBRWork from
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/utilities.html
and you will have to burn it to a cd and make the CD bootable.

You can work around all this need to burn a CD by using a bootable cd
of your own choice which gives you the line command prompt (loosely
called a "DOS prompt"). Then, if you stored the chosen MBR utility
in root folder of particular partition which your line command prompt
is able to access, you can navigate to the MBR utility and then
launch it.
 
F

FYIS.org

Franklin said:
Dan

FDISK /MBR will not lose all your data. "Fdisk has an undocumented
parameter called /mbr that causes it to write the master boot record
to the hard disk without altering the partition table information."
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q69013/
<snip>

Thanx for all the info.
I'll consider the FDISK when I feel more comfortable with what I am doing.
I think I may have screwed up the restore. The system was delivered with 2
partitions (C&D) and when I used the recovery/restore CD provided, only one
drive was created (a C Drive only), but boot.ini says partition(2).

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

I think the original goback installation problem that started this all and
created the bootup loop leaving the dead goback screen after the rebuild,
may have been caused by my attempting to install the goback software
recovery files on the D drive not C.
I need to think this thru further.

Thanx again.

DanlK, FYI Services Collectibles
www.FYIS.org
 
F

Franklin

Thanx for all the info.
I'll consider the FDISK when I feel more comfortable with what I
am doing. I think I may have screwed up the restore. The system
was delivered with 2 partitions (C&D) and when I used the
recovery/restore CD provided, only one drive was created (a C
Drive only), but boot.ini says partition(2).

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows
XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

I think the original goback installation problem that started
this all and created the bootup loop leaving the dead goback
screen after the rebuild, may have been caused by my attempting
to install the goback software recovery files on the D drive not
C. I need to think this thru further.

Thanx again.

DanlK, FYI Services Collectibles
www.FYIS.org

Dan, if you feel this is technically above your current understanding
and you don't want to study it too much further then go to one of the
following.

Svend Olaf Mikkelsen wrote some of the most frequently used free hard
drive utilities on the Net: http://www.partitionsupport.com/
If you run his utils (he will say which) then he is nearly always
prepared to read thru the output and often will write some basic
routines for you to run and straighten out all your mixup partitions
in one go.

Zvi Netev of http://invircible.com (e-mail address removed) is also a
respected hard drive expert but he may be working at slightly too
advanced a level for you and may not be as available as you would
like. Zvi operates commercially but will answer queries for free.
Some of his tools are chargeable and some are free.
 

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