kbuntu grub removal (Error 21)

[misfit21]

I recently installed kbuntu8.04 on a 4gb usb thumb drive, with the intention of not touching the win2000 installation on my laptop hard drive. However, I unintenionally placed the GRUB in the MBR of the laptop hard disk. When booting the computer, I need to have the USB thumb drive attached in order to access the GRUB OS selector, or else GRUB returns an "Error 21".

At this point, I just want to remove GRUB from the MBR of the laptop hard disk, and revert to the Windows bootloader (NTLDR?). I have tried using a Win2000 installation CD, but it appears to require an administrator password, which I don't have.

Here is the output of sudo fdisk -l and df -k

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 100.0 GB, 100030242816 bytes
240 heads, 63 sectors/track, 12921 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 15120 * 512 = 7741440 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x33683367

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 12921 97682728+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdb: 3965 MB, 3965714432 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 482 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00079f90

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 454 3646723+ 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2 455 482 224910 5 Extended
/dev/sdb5 455 482 224878+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ df -h
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
tmpfs 1.7G 17M 1.7G 1% /lib/modules/2.6.24-19-generic/volat ile
tmpfs 1.7G 17M 1.7G 1% /lib/modules/2.6.24-19-generic/volat ile
varrun 1.7G 160K 1.7G 1% /var/run
varlock 1.7G 0 1.7G 0% /var/lock
udev 1.7G 72K 1.7G 1% /dev
devshm 1.7G 0 1.7G 0% /dev/shm
tmpfs 1.7G 60K 1.7G 1% /tmp

here is the output of /boot/grub/menu.lst

# menu.lst - See: grub(, info grub, update-grub(
# grub-install(, grub-floppy(,
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use 'savedefault' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 10

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
#hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=e3111056-9549-4fda-9d99-9b0ec5b6b45c ro

## Setup crashdump menu entries
## e.g. crashdump=1
# crashdump=0

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd1,0)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic
root (hd1,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=UUID=e3111056-9549-4fda-9d99-9b0ec5b6b45c ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd1,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=UUID=e3111056-9549-4fda-9d99-9b0ec5b6b45c ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic

title Ubuntu 8.04.1, memtest86+
root (hd1,0)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
title Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
root (hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

Any advice on removing GRUB from the laptop hard disk without touching the WIn2000 installation? Do you recommend the supergrubdisk ?

Thank you.

[Jonathan183]

Welcome to the forums misfit21
I suggest you use SuperGrub to fix the problem ...

[D-cat]

If you have a windows install disk (prior to 2K), you can boot it in DOS Command mode and run fdisk /mbr

If you only have a restore disk or your windows version is too new to have fdisk, you can use the one from freedos, though that one works a little different: fdisk /rmbr

Depending on how your system is set up, it might still be necessary to boot your Win2K CD and choose to repair the installation.

[D-cat]

The "Recovery Console" in Win 2K and XP (boot the install CD, select Recover) also have a replacement to the fdisk /mbr command.. fixmbr

That might work best for you.

[devils casper]

SuperGRUB CD works pretty fine and its USB, Floppy images are also available. If you have Windows Installation disk then executing fixmbr command at Repair prompt will remove GRUB without any problem.