Solved MBR completely messed up by GRUB GNU, recovery not working

[poozza]

I recently tried installing Ubuntu and dualbooting it. I selected the "install alongside Windows 7" option and created a ~60GB partition, and it followed through well. When I wanted to return to Windows, though, GRUB GNU would select it but return to the menu shortly after, so I uninstalled Ubuntu (via "Try Ubuntu" from USB) with OS-Remover. Now, when I try to boot from HDD, it gives me "error: unknown filesystem" and is stuck in grub restore mode. I have tried inserting an installation USB and tried bootrec /fixmbr and bootrec /fixboot, says successful yet only made the USB unbootable and had to reformat and burn, still brings to grub rescue. Also, "cd boot" gives me a nonexistent path error, and Windows is not shown as an installed OS.

Can someone help me completely remove GRUB and restore MBR? Help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[gregrocker]

Boot into the Win7 disk to Mark Win7 Partition Active (unless you have the 100mb System Reserved partition, then set it Active)

Then run Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times until Win7 boots.

In Disk Mgmt then delete the Linux partitions. Repartition as desired, or extend Win7 into the space.

 

[poozza]

Thanks for all your help, yet it doesn't work. The only disk shown in DISKPART is the installation USB (I also have a 500 GB HDD and a 1.5 TB HDD on board), and there is only one partition. Nonetheless, I continued through your instructions, yet it still reboots to GRUB RESCUE mode. Trying to boot from the USB again gives me error 0xc0000098, and I have to reformat and burn the ISO onto it again. My Windows installation is also not detected by the installer.

 

[gregrocker]

Are these hard drives showing up in BIOS setup? There's no other explanation for why they don't show up in Diskpart when your run List Disk except that your media is bad.

Do you have a UEFI install? Either way follow the steps to create a good installer in Step 1 of Clean Reinstall Factory OEM using Windows Download Tool for BIOS and Rufus for UEFI as discussed in tutorial.

 

[poozza]

Looks like I'll do a light reinstall, seems like the best solution at this point. Thank you for all your help!

 

[gregrocker]

If you'll stick with the steps, tools and methods in Clean Reinstall Windows 7 then you'll have a perfect install for as long as you do, just like 1.3 million others who have used it without a single complaint.

Let us know if you have any questions, and how it goes.