Remove GRUB bootloader and restore windows bootloader?

4743hudsonj

Ive scoured the internet and not found any one single conclusive method for doing the above.

PC runs Win 7 64 Bit. I then partitioned when installing Ubuntu 10.10 however it rand into resolution issues on this laptop so i decided i want to delete ubuntu, the volume its on and re-merge it.

But if i simply deleted it, there would be no bootloader. So what do i have to do to restore the windows bootloader short of reinstalling.? I'm just creating a disc image, backup and windows 7 disc as we speak in case things go pear shape but wouldn't mind an easier solution.

debitcardmayhem

I haven't tried but I would imagine that if you use the Win 7 rescue disk , which you can create with 7's backup & restore, you can boot from that and use the repair option , (i did that for a crapped on boot sector) or use the recovery console on the same disk and use fixmbr , you will need to google for that on the windows site (off to bed now) I can't remember the format of that

debitcardmayhem

I think easyBCD may be able to do it (it used to on Vista IIRC)

4743hudsonj

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

I haven't tried but I would imagine that if you use the Win 7 rescue disk , which you can create with 7's backup & restore, you can boot from that and use the repair option , (i did that for a crapped on boot sector) or use the recovery console on the same disk and use fixmbr , you will need to google for that on the windows site (off to bed now) I can't remember the format of that

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

I think easyBCD may be able to do it (it used to on Vista IIRC)

Apparently fixmbr does not work. Not tried it but read it. The restoring it from the disk does though but i dont want it to come to that.

Thanks for the easyBCD suggestion ill give that a look.

Why'd they make this thing so damn persistent lol.

Its a shame ubuntu wouldnt work, loved it on my older laptop.

4743hudsonj

Looks like it may have done the trick, will see when the image is finished and i restart

KathysBoy

You can choose "Repair" from the original Windows 7 disk, and it will look for, and repair any startup problems. I've used it a couple of times.

S0litaire

it's not "fixmbr"
there's another command you need to use...

Stick in the Windows CD and boot into recovery
Set the language time and keyboard options
Choose "Repair your Computer" and select "Command Prompt"
Change to the BOOT directory "cd /boot/"
Run "bootsect /nt60 ALL"
That reinstalls the bootsector on the drive over writing GRUB.
Eject DVD and reboot...

4743hudsonj

S0litaire wrote: »

it's not "fixmbr"
there's another command you need to use...

Stick in the Windows CD and boot into recovery
Set the language time and keyboard options
Choose "Repair your Computer" and select "Command Prompt"
Change to the BOOT directory "cd /boot/"
Run "bootsect /nt60 ALL"
That reinstalls the bootsector on the drive over writing GRUB.
Eject DVD and reboot...

Cheers ill do this if easyBCD hasnt worked

Hammyman

4743hudsonj wrote: »

Ive scoured the internet and not found any one single conclusive method for doing the above.

PC runs Win 7 64 Bit. I then partitioned when installing Ubuntu 10.10 however it rand into resolution issues on this laptop so i decided i want to delete ubuntu, the volume its on and re-merge it.

But if i simply deleted it, there would be no bootloader. So what do i have to do to restore the windows bootloader short of reinstalling.? I'm just creating a disc image, backup and windows 7 disc as we speak in case things go pear shape but wouldn't mind an easier solution.

Boot from the Windows 7 DVD. Go to Repair and select Command prompt. At the command prompt type:

bootrec /fixmbr

Exit and reboot.

And for all those saying it won't work and you've got to use BCDEdit etc, I've done it using bootrec /fixmbr dozens of times over the past few years since Vista came out and its worked without fail for me.

4743hudsonj

Well easyBCD works brilliantly(y)

Really is easy. Click a button and !!!!!!. You restart and all is normal. Run a chkdsk and no issues show.