[ltp] how to restore original MBR and partition table

[Kelvin KAN]

If you have a Windows XP CDROM disc, you may boot from it,

and enter "rescue" shell, and then type the command:

fixmbr

(or even fixboot)

Any XP CDROM could do, need not be the one with the Prod Key of your T60.

cheers,
-
kelvin.



Joe Zien wrote:

> I have a new IBM Thinkpad T60 Widescreen laptop that I dual boot
> with XP and Linux, it worked great booting XP or linux.
> I installed grub, the linux boot loader, in the MBR.
> Before I repartitioned the hard drive to install linux,
> I used the linux command "dd" to backup the MBR.
>
> I belong to a computer club that is 98% windows users and wanted to
> install linux on the club's laptop and to re-install the
> MBR as originally configured using "dd" but that corrupted the 
> partition table,
>
> I did not get a cd-rom for the Thinkpad with XP, there is a rescue and 
> restore partition
> on the hard drive that allows you to restore XP to factory condition
> but that wipes out your whole hard drive including all my linux 
> partitions.
> I just want to restore the XP partition table and MBR.
> Is that possible without wiping out the whole drive?
>
> Using an XP cd-rom that I got for my tower, I tried to use the restore
> function "fixboot" and "fixmbr" but I got error that it couldn't find the
> c:\ drive.
>
> Now all I can use is linux, no great loss because I use mostly linux
> but I still want to use XP  for some programs that are not available
> for linux.
>
> The main question is can you restore the original partition table
> and MBR without re-installing XP from the rescue and restore
> function on the Thinkpad?
>
> All the files and programs in XP are still on the computer,
> although the rescue cd can't find the c:\ drive.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Joseph Zieniewicz (jozien)
> jozien@comcast.net