Vista and partion troubles

[Guest]

I have a multi-faceted problem it seems...so here is the rundown:

I have a new Gateway laptop with a 100gb sata (I'm pretty sure) hard drive.
I started experimenting with OS's a month or two ago, and started by making
a ~25gb partition for Windows Vista RC1. I played around with it for a
while, then wiped the partition. This is the cause of my first problem--I
still have the Vista bootloader chainloading into the XP bootloader (or the
now useless Vista kernel).

Before trying to solve the problem, I foolishly installed a Linux distro
(Ubuntu) into that partition (well, I had to also make another partition as
the "swap" drive). With it came the GRUB multi-boot bootloader, which
successfully recognized Vista's bootloader (note: not XP's), as well as my
recovery partition factory installed. However, my Linux installation seems
to be screwy (for some reason I don't have sudo power), so I'm going to
uninstall Linux. However, I tried wiping the linux partition before, and
then GRUB didn't work (its files were on the Linux partition).


So, the meat of my problem now is that I want to get into the Windows
Recover Console to use "fixmbr" and "fixboot" (to restore the master boot
record to point at Windows and restore XP's boot record, correct?).
BUT--when I try to access the recovery console from Vista's bootloader I get
the Blue Screen of Death, and when I try to load it from XP's bootloader, the
recovery console doesn't load and tells me that "bootmng" can not be found.
Does anyone have any clue as to what the problem is?

Also, does anyone know the files of Vista's bootloader, so I can delete them
from my root directory after I get rid of the Vista bootloader?

 

[John John]

While you are booted to Windows XP stick the Vista DVD in the drive and
then, from a Command Prompt, navigate to the boot folder on the Vista
DVD. Then, from that location, issue the following command:

bootsect /nt52 C:

That will return the ntldr boot loader to drive C: If the MBR that you
want to change is on another drive change the letter accordingly. For
help on the command do:

bootsect /help

John

PS: Possibly the boot folder and bootsect utility are on the hard drive
and you can run it from that location instead of from the DVD.

 

[Guest]

While you are booted to Windows XP stick the Vista DVD in the drive

I stupidly must have thrown away the DVD after switching to Linux, because I
can't find it.

PS: Possibly the boot folder and bootsect utility are on the hard drive
and you can run it from that location instead of from the DVD.

Unfortunately, Vista didn't install the nifty utilities on the XP partition.

Does anyone know anything about the problem with bootmgr? (I think I
spelled it wrong before--"bootmgr" is the correct spelling)

 

[John John]

In that case boot to the Windows XP Recovery Console and issue the
following command on the System drive:

fixmbr

For help while in the Recovery Console issue the help command.

help

For help on any command use the /? switch:

fixmbr /?

John

 

[Guest]

What I've been saying is that I CAN'T access the Recovery Console. That's my
problem.

I used a utility (VistaBootPro) to uninstall the Vista bootloader, and it
did so, but now when I try to access the Recovery Console, it just hangs with
a blinking cursor.

 

[John John]

Access it with your XP cd!

John

 

[Guest]

Access it with your XP cd!

I wish I could...
My computer vendor (Gateway) didn't see fit to send me an actual copy of
windows, I merely have a Gateway-branded "Operating System Disc" that has 2
functions and 2 functions only: 1) wipe the hard drive and reinstall
Windows, or 2) save data (documents, music, stuff like that) in a folder,
wipe the hard drive, then reinstall windows. Neither option is very
palatable, as I have a LOT of stuff installed, and don't have the time,
patience, or memory of what I've installed to get it all back up.

John, I may be slamming your ideas, but I appreciate you helping me.

 

[John John]

You will be able to start the Recovery Console with this:

How to obtain Windows XP Setup boot disks
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310994

John