[ltp] how to restore original MBR and partition table

[Phil]

The XP recovery option will work, but you need to set the SATA drive 
into 'compatible' mode before booting as the Windoze drivers don't 
otherwise recognize the disk.
Boot into the setup screen by pressing the blue ThinkVantage button at 
bootup, find the SATA controller option, set it to compatible and then 
boot the Windoze disk.
Then you'll be able to use fixmbr.

If you have to install a clean XP you'll need to stay in compatible mode 
until you've downloaded the Thinkpad T60 SATA drivers. Once they're 
installed you can return to normal mode.

I found this out the hard way when I managed to trash my mbr.

Phil

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