The mbr has nothing to do with it.
Easiest way is :
Put win 7 dvd in dvd drive, press windows key + r to open run dialog and type in
z:\Boot\Bootsect.exe /nt52 ALL /force (replace z with dvd drive letter )
Then boot into XP and delete win7 partition.
Thanks SIW2. Last question - what os work I be in when I try your suggestion?
XP or W7
Regards
JohnnyA
Win 7 or XP - probably better from XP as that was the first installed o/s.
It may tell you the update may be unreliable - that's normal.
The MBR does have something to do with it...
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/m.../ee851681.aspx
I would still recommend a fixmbr prior to fixing the boot record, as stated, but that's just me.
Ok, then. Assuming that article from Microsoft's Technet is wrong (which you should contact them about in all seriousness if it is wrong), then why does the Linux GRUB bootloader (which writes itself to the MBR) get wiped out after installing Windows if the Windows bootloader doesn't have anything to do with the MBR?
LOL.
If you let grub install itself to the mbr - it automatically takes over the boot management.
Clearly you have to remove that if you want to use windows boot manager.
Grub is not involved in this case ( unless I missed something in the thread ).
Yes the Technet post is definitely wrong - it's not the first time.
Vista/7 disk code has no problem loading nt52 bootcode and vice versa.
Vista/7 disk code contains extra code relating to bitlocker - if you are not using bitlocker - it doesn't matter.
LOL at what? You missed the point entirely, actually. Re-read what I wrote. The point was the re-installation of GRUB after installing Windows. If the Windows bootloader does not, in fact, touch the MBR as you say, then why is the MBR overwritten to the point of removing GRUB when you install Windows after Linux?
Instead of letting this go on, I will answer and say it does, in fact, rewrite the MBR when Windows is installed, based on the OS version (XP has its own as does Vista/7). So, the MBR does have something to do with the bootloader which is the problem here, contrary to what you stated in your original post. That's the whole point, which was somehow hard to arrive at. This backs up my opinion that I would run a fixmbr to write the XP MBR back to disk rather than leaving the Vista/7 MBR. It may or may not have any effect if both MBRs are cross-compatible with each others boot section. Whether you agree or not is separate.
Windows will always write the mbr code during install - you may not have a valid one already - or you may have something else on there - e.g. grub, so it is default during install.
LOL was at the article - looks like a typo - if it said pbr, or vbr that would make some sense.
The command given in the article you linked to does not affect the mbr.
If for some reason - you do want to rewrite the mbr code as well ( e.g. to get rid of Grub ) - use the /mbr switch, like this:
d:\boot\ bootsect.exe /nt60 all /mbr
You notice he doesn't do that in the article - because there is no need to rewrite the mbr code.
However, it is just a tiny bit of code and won't do any harm if you include it.
Well here I am still in the Fox Hole watching the shelling going back and forth over my head and thinking "What was I thinking when I signed up for this"
Oh well, here I am all dressed in my Bomb Disposal outfit with wire cutters in hand - now which one - the Red wire or the Green wire? Hell just pick one, what can go wrong.
Ok lets go with Red. Oops, wrong one- shoot. BOOM!!! lol
I think I will take a break, reread all the suggestions again in the morning and then make a decision on what to do. Thanks for all the help folks.
Cheers
JohnnyA
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