fdisk /mbr - unable to open /mbr

[caminoix]

hello

i want to remove grub and learned about 3 ways to do it:
- fdisk /mbr: the result is "unable to open /mbr". sure, i did it as root.
- fixmbr and fixboot running windows install cd and choosing "r". when i choose "r", it wants to install windows. no console/prompt whatsoever. when i run "cmd" (i have win xp) and type "fixmbr" or "fixboot" it says "unknown command".

can you help me, please?

[lakerdonald]

Well fdisk /mbr is a MS-DOS command, not a Unix command, and from what I've read it doesn't work with XP. S.O.L I guess... :/

[budman7]

Actually, fdisk /mbr does work on XP. I have used it many times with a Win98 startup disk.

And I m using NTFS.

[caminoix]

the only way i know to execute a dos command under win xp is to select "run" and type "cmd". is this what you're thinking about?
well, when i do it and then type "fdisk /mbr", it says "the name fdisk is not recognized as an internal or external command or an executable or batch file."

[lakerdonald]

Actually, fdisk /mbr does work on XP. I have used it many times with a Win98 startup disk.

And I m using NTFS.

what I meant was that it does not work from something which isn't a true MS-DOS shell, and I think 98 was the last one to have that (unless 2000 did)

[budman7]

lakerdonald wrote:

what I meant was that it does not work from something which isn't a true MS-DOS shell, and I think 98 was the last one to have that (unless 2000 did)

That is correct

[caminoix]

i never tried to argue it wasn't.

but this doesn't solve my problem anyhow: having windows xp, how can i remove grub from mbr?

[budman7]

Do you have your Windows installation cd? Not those recovery disks.
If you do, you can use that, just type "R" at the prompt for repair, then type "fixmbr"

Do you have a Win98 boot disk. If you do, at the A: prompt, type "fdisk /mbr".
Go to www.bootdisk.com, if you don't have one.

[lakerdonald]

i never tried to argue it wasn't.

i never said you did. I was just saying that fdisk /mbr is not a valid unix command

[caminoix]

budman7:
i do have a win installation cd but when i press r, it wants to reinstall win
i'll try the bootdisk.com, thank you

lakerdonald:
ok, ok i really don't want to argue about anything
it's a little funny, i think, 'cause there is the fdisk command in linux. only it doesn't work with /mbr. i thought there were no commands that looked the same. well, maybe except the "cd"