[wideload]

I recently had to reinstall windows. Windows XP
Pro installed on my SATA drive with a designation of M drive. I also
have a WDC 20 gb IDE drive on the system that is used for backup
purposes. When Windows reinstalled it put the MBR on the IDE drive.
I've been trying to install Unbuntu,
under Windows. When I do it seems to install OK but when I boot it has
a problem becase the MBR is on the IDE drive and the operating systems
are on the SATA drive.

I know I should have unplugged the IDE
drive when I reinstalled Windows so the MBR would have been there, but
it is too late for that now. Is there any way I change the MBR to the
M drive without losing it's contents and having to reinstall all over
again?
Greg "Wide Load"
Miller
Greenwood, IN

[rgreen4]

First make sure you have copied or backed up any data on the drive with XP on it. (For it to be labled drive M:, you must have a lot of storage devices in the machine)

Then insert the XP install disc in the CD drive, turn off the machine and disconnect the cable to the other drive. If the CD is on the same cable, you may have to change jumpers.

Now when you restart the machine, make sure it boots from the CD as we are going part way through the install process. Other than time, I don't know why you are reluctant to do a full reinstall, but we will try a repair.

When the system starts from the CD, of course you know the first thing it does is check the system, and then you get a messagel about pressing F6 in order to install third party drivers, and then it loads the files.

Then you are given three choices:

1. Setup XP Now - press Enter
2. Repair - press R
3. Quit - Press F3

At this point you want to press enter. DO NOT take an R at this point it will take you to the repair console which only a systems engineer could understand.

You must then agree to the License Agreement

Then it should come back and point out that there is an existing installation on the drive, and it will give you two choices:

1. Attempt a Repair - press R
2. Continue installation - press Escape

At this point press the R and the system will attempt to repair the existing XP installation.

If this does not succeed, you may have to do a full install, but a bad MBR is one of the things it should fix.

[piyushsingh]

Hi [~162141]
You didnt mention whether you want to save your ubuntu installation or not .
Two things you can do -
* Boot from the XP disc and when you get the options as described by [~22087] in above post , choose recovery console . Their use the "fixmbr" command. This will fix it but you will have to install ubuntu again or atleast grub again.
* Second method is to reinstall grub now only. But make sure that you are able to boot to XP after disconnecting the IDE drive first , before you install grub.

EDIT ~ make sure you dont change any partitions while installing grub from ubuntu disc.