How to install MBR to new hard disk?

[Paul Adasiak]

I would check the drive with something like ubcd before throwing it away.

Thanks; I'll try that as soon as I can.

OK steps are ...
install grub to MBR of sdb

sudo grub
root (hd1,2)
setup (hd1)
quit

A-ha! That looks like the thing I was looking for. I'll try that once I'm home. (It's my home, not work, computer.)

Jonathan183, why do you suggest adding this?

title Linux Mint on sda4
root (hd0,3)
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst

I'm already using the Mint grub menu. It was installed second, as a distro to play around with. Kubuntu is at the top because it's what my family uses (for now) by default. I just don't understand the significance of the change you propose.

(Wait... I've just searched menu.lst configfile. Does that create a sub-menu, so that the first-installed OS's boot options are not lost when the second OS over-writes grub?)

[computerophil]

Sorry for expressing myself badly.

If I don't understand well it also can be the lack of practice of English language (I don't speek for more then 20 years now)

[Jonathan183]

Thanks; I'll try that as soon as I can.

A-ha! That looks like the thing I was looking for. I'll try that once I'm home. (It's my home, not work, computer.)

Jonathan183, why do you suggest adding this?

title Linux Mint on sda4
root (hd0,3)
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst

I'm already using the Mint grub menu. It was installed second, as a distro to play around with. Kubuntu is at the top because it's what my family uses (for now) by default. I just don't understand the significance of the change you propose.

(Wait... I've just searched menu.lst configfile. Does that create a sub-menu, so that the first-installed OS's boot options are not lost when the second OS over-writes grub?)

I recommend link between grub menu for each distro so that when the kernel is updated you don't need to manually update entries to use the latest kernel.

I also suggested you post the full contents of /boot/grub/menu.lst because it contains information in the comments ... see here.

If you use the code I gave then kubuntu grub menu should appear. Kubuntu should work ... lets check that, then check Mint works ... after that getting Mint grub menu rather than kubuntu grub menu should be straightforward .

Ed: I'll try to explain the menu bit ...
Grub is a large program and can not be kept purely in the MBR (not enough space), so the bit in the MBR just points to part 2 of grub (which then gets loaded).
By default each distro will install grub to the MBR pointing to its own stage 2 (using its own configfile - which provides the menu).
Some distros look for other distros and add entries to the grub menu to allow you to boot existing distros. The only problem is most do this by looking at existing grub menu information and creating a corresponding entry ... which is OK until you update the kernel.
Instead of copying existing entries the additional entry I gave will access the other distro grub menu.lst file directly each time you select it at boot.

... I hope this helps