Repair the Master Boot Record

The story starts like this: I wanted to install ReactOS on a hard drive where I had X/K/Ubuntu or your_favorite_distro_name_here, and I had to install Lilo or Grub, I deleted all the partitions, I have made a new one for ReactOS and I suppose the disk is clean, now that I have installed ReactOS I can't start FreeLoader...

http://reactos.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/00sgd.png http://reactos.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/00gnu-head-sm.jpg

In this tutorial we'll show you the 10 steps to recover and reinstall your Master Boot Record (MBR) in a disk that has already had GRUB or Lilo installed using [color=#0000FF]Super Grub Disk[/color], to be able to start later FreeLoader without any problem...

http://reactos.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/00-grldrfreeloadergrub.jpg

I do not know if it is a defect, a slip, a bug or incapacity of ReactOS but the point is that after having installed GRUB on a hard drive ReactOS cannot replace the Grub's MBR. In this tutorial we'll learn to reinstall (so to speak) the Master Boot Record (MBR), to start FreeLoader without problems.

Details about #2733

In some motherboards to start the PC from a CD/DVD you hit F8 or F11 to enter the menu where you choose where to boot from.

Anyway, you can also do it changing the boot sequence in the BIOS.

To enter the BIOS:
When you turn your computer on, hit DEL, other alternatives are Insert or F1, F2, F10.

Try to see where ‘Boot Sequence’ or ‘First Boot Device’ is

http://reactos.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/biostecladoros.jpg

Download Super Grub Disk from here. Then burn it into a CD/DVD (rewritable preferably). You can do it with InfraRecorder.

Alright, let's work.

We boot the computer from CD/DVD, then we choose the options hitting ENTER.

1. “Super Grub Disk”

http://reactos.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/01-sgd.png http://reactos.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/01-sgd.png

2. “Choose Language & Help”

Help is shown in a clear and simple language.

http://reactos.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/02-sgd.png http://reactos.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/02-sgd.png

3. “English Super Grub Disk”

http://reactos.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/03-sgd.png

4. “Windows”

http://reactos.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/04-sgd.png

5. “Fix Boot of Windows” (“Fix Windows MBR”)

http://reactos.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/05-sgd.png

6. “Syslinux”

http://reactos.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/06-sgd.png

7. Choose your hard disk: (you'll recognize it by the size)

1 hda sda (hd0) hd0 74GB
2 hdb sdb (hd1) hd1 8GB

Where options 1 and 2 are your physical hard disks (not the partitions). If you have more HDs they will appear here.

http://reactos.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/07-sgd.png

8. After choosing the hard drive, SGD will show you:

“SGD has succeeded”

http://reactos.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/08-sgd.png

9. “Reboot P.C.”

http://reactos.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/09-sgd.png

10. Stop reading this tutorial and hurry up to remove the CD/DVD from the tray before the computer boots again from it....

After this, we'll have the MBR ready to proceed with the installation of ReactOS without issues. :D

PS: Super Grub Disk is useful to recover GRUB after having installed Windows too.

Links:

• Super Grub Disk official homepage [1]
• InfraRecorder official homepage [2]

This Tutorial was originally posted by me at: wordpress

Thanks to gabriel_it for his translation :wink: .