Help! I need to get rid of GRUB

The_Lucas

Daemon Poster
Messages
749
I have a HDD that previously had a Linux installation with the GRUB bootloader.
However, even after several formats and repartitions, the computer still comes up with GRUB and it's "unknown filesystem error":mad: . There is only one HDD in the system, and there is no media in any other drive.
If you could reply to this and explain how to fix it or something, that'll be great.
 
Do you get that message after installing an OS? The OS should overwrite GRUB as part of the installation.
 
A successful installation of windows will overwrite the MBR, replacing GRUB with its own bootloader. Are you sure windows (presuming this is what you're installing) is installing correctly?

Failing this you can load the windows bootloader manually by loading the recovery console - from memory it's just "fixmbr".
 
Yes, I know what berry120 is saying. However, this particular computer has NO CD or floppy drive. It cannot boot from USB. No printer or serial port either. I have an active partition that I used a proven utility to create a Windows setup partition to install Windows from. It is supposed to boot automatically and act just like the CD, however GRUB keeps coming up. So, I can't use the "fixmbr" command in the Recovery Console unless I can get it to boot form the partition. I can access the HDD if I take it out of my computer and put it in my notebook HDD dock, if that's any help.
 
However, this particular computer has NO CD or floppy drive. It cannot boot from USB. No printer or serial port either.
To be honest, the quickest and simplest solution would just be to temporarily whack a CD drive in there. If you haven't got one already they almost cost pence these days...
 
THIS IS A LAPTOP. If I could put a CD drive in it, I wouldn't be posting. No offense, but I am no amateur in hardware, and most Mac and Windows issues.
 
THIS IS A [Sounds more like a netbook to me, Mr. Hardware Genius]. If I could put a CD drive in it, I wouldn't be posting. No offense, but I am no amateur in hardware, and most Mac and Windows issues.

Corrected.

I would suggest doing this and using your "proven utility" to recreate the Windows setup partition.

In addition, I think he should lose the attitude. Goodness.


So. You are saying there is no USB ports? Or there is no way you can boot from USB (I find that odd)? Because I'm wondering right now if you can slap a linux distro on a jump drive and try to correct in Linux. I haven't worked much with Linux, so I'm at a loss there.
 
Atomic Rooster: Did that 4 times before posting thread. Even tried putting MS-DOS 6 on it to try to start it up so I could start Setup. No go.
dude_56013: This is a 10 year old IBM ThinkPad x20. Probably USB 1.1. Slow, 12 Mbps. Not a netbook. Sorry if I offended you. Linux is a deep, dark hole I have difficulty exploring. There should be a simple way to fix this.
 
Back
Top Bottom