HOW TO: Recover Windows MBR using Ubuntu LIVE CD

[inoxllor]

Tested on Ubuntu 7.04; Ubuntu 7.10 and Linux Mint 4.0 Live CDs

If want to restore Windows Bootloader and for some reason cannot use the windows installation cd, there is a simple way to do it:

NOTE: make sure you have internet working.

1) Boot with Ubuntu Live CD or Linux Mint Live CD


2) On the terminal:

sudo apt-get install ms-sys

then

ms-sys --mbr /dev/hdX

NOTE: in my case the main windows xp system is located in hda1 so I used ms-sys --mbr /dev/hda

3) Reboot.

This should get your windows back.

[gonk]

Brilliant! Thanks for this, it worked well.

However I needed to enable the 'universe' repository (System->Administration->Software Sources) before I could install the ms-sys package. I also needed to put "sudo" in front of the ms-sys command (e.g. "sudo ms-sys --mbr /dev/sda") otherwise I got permission denied.

[KingdomKid]

Hey guys, I recently cloned my hard drive. Every thing worked ok and still does except that I can not boot into windows anymore. I have a dual boot system (Kubuntu / Windows XP Pro).
I can boot into Kubuntu fine and all is well. Just booting into XP is messed up.

When I choose to boot into XP it just sits there with "starting up" in the top left of the screen.

I was wondering if doing the steps in this post is what I need to do?

Does anyone know what got messed up during the cloning process and how to fix it.

[HungrySamurai]

It has taken me a week to find a solution that worked -- and it worked so smoothly! Thank you! Now that the desktop PC is back in working order, my wife and I will not be fighting for the laptop!

[fluteman]

Originally Posted by inoxllor Tested on Ubuntu 7.04; Ubuntu 7.10 and Linux Mint 4.0 Live CDs If want to restore Windows Bootloader and for some reason cannot use the windows installation cd, there is a simple way to do it: NOTE: make sure you have internet working. 1) Boot with Ubuntu Live CD or Linux Mint Live CD 2) On the terminal: sudo apt-get install ms-sys then ms-sys --mbr /dev/hdX NOTE: in my case the main windows xp system is located in hda1 so I used ms-sys --mbr /dev/hda 3) Reboot. This should get your windows back.

Hi, I'm having the exact same problem as inoxllor and I was really excited about trying the solution you suggested. So I loaded the Ubuntu Live CD, executed installed ms-sys and executed the commands the (I too had to set software to "universe" to install ms-sys and I also needed to use the sudo, as well as the "-f" switch when I ran ms-sys). However, this did not resolve my problem - when I shut down my system and rebooted, GRUB is still trying to load and my system just hangs at the GRUB load error message.

Any other ideas? I've tried everything solution I could find and none of them have worked. Help!
fluteman

[ajproart]

THANKS TO INOXLLOR & GONK THE FINAL FIX WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE THIS:

HOW TO: Recover Windows MBR using Ubuntu LIVE CD
Tested on Ubuntu 7.04; Ubuntu 7.10 and Linux Mint 4.0 Live CDs

If want to restore Windows Bootloader and for some reason cannot use the windows installation cd, there is a simple way to do it:

NOTE: make sure you have internet working.

Before the first step:
(I needed to enable the 'universe' repository (System->Administration->Software Sources) before I could install the ms-sys package. I also needed to put "sudo" in front of the ms-sys command (e.g. "sudo ms-sys --mbr /dev/sda") otherwise I got permission denied.)

1) Boot with Ubuntu Live CD or Linux Mint Live CD


2) On the terminal:

sudo apt-get install ms-sys

then

ms-sys --mbr /dev/hdX

NOTE: in my case the main windows xp system is located in hda1 so I used

sudo ms-sys --mbr /dev/hda

***
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo ms-sys --mbr /dev/hda
Windows 2000/XP/2003 master boot record successfully written to /dev/hda
***

3) Reboot.

This should get your windows back.
__________________
Thanks Reply With Quote

[musico218]

Hi everyone!

I've tried to fix mbr with ubuntu live cd, but now it appears:

Invelid partition table

Notice: I'm working on a laptop asus, with 2 partions (one recovery, and one with windows and all my dates).


Help!!!

[tom56]

Originally Posted by musico218 Hi everyone! I've tried to fix mbr with ubuntu live cd, but now it appears: Invelid partition table Notice: I'm working on a laptop asus, with 2 partions (one recovery, and one with windows and all my dates). Help!!!

This happened to me too. I don't think ms-sys works with Vista. Another (easier?) way is to use the Windows Recovery CD which is available for download here - http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/window...disc-download/. Go through the various options then pick "Startup Recovery". Works a charm.

[zorkerz]

It does not appear ms-sys is in the repos for intrepid any longer.

[caljohnsmith]

Originally Posted by zorkerz It does not appear ms-sys is in the repos for intrepid any longer.

Yes, unfortunately that is the case. You could download that package from packages.debian.org and do it that way, but there are many ways to install a Windows type MBR though, including:

sudo apt-get install syslinux
sudo dd if=/usr/lib/syslinux/mbr.bin of=/dev/sda

And replace sda if you want to install the MBR to a different drive. Or another method:

sudo apt-get install mbr
sudo install-mbr -i n -p D -t 0 /dev/sda

Both the "syslinux" and "mbr" packages are available in the repositories. I should mention that all a Windows MBR does is attempt to boot whichever partition on the HDD is marked as bootable, or active, so there are many open-source boot loaders that do exactly the same thing, including the two methods given above.