Please Help Me Undo Backtrack 4 Installation

[GoldenTequila]

Hi,

I searched the forum and google and found some info, but none of them was a solid and reliable help (people saying they tried and how they got new issues afterward), so I'd like to ask for help from you guys. I'll explain everything I did (I have an idea of where I made the mistake, but I just don't know how to undo it).

1. I installed BT4 to 8G SD Card. I had made a bootable USB BT4 before, so I wanted to make the same thing only with the SD Card this time.

2. I think this is where I made the mistake. I didn't choose advanced options to specify the boot loader. So, I think it installed it to my native HD.

3. I cannot boot into XP if I don't have the SD Card in the drive. Otherwise, I get the message:

Grub loading stage 1.5
Grub loading, please wait.....
error 21

I really would like to redo the whole thing. I am thinking to format the SD Card (after I fix this issue first of course) and to make it right this time. So, please help me undo the change BT4 installation made on my native HD. I have read somewhere that one could use XP recovery disc run repair fixmbr, but I also saw someone following that direction only to encounter another error. Not to mention, my computer is eee PC 1005ha, so it doesn't have a recovery disc, not even a cd drive.
I can get into BT4 or Windows XP just fine as long as I keep the SD card inserted, so I'm hoping there's a way to fix it from either console. I also still have the USB BT4 with me if I need to use that. Please help me. I really appreciate your help.

GT

[orange]

I have read somewhere that one could use XP recovery disc run repair fixmbr, but I also saw someone following that direction only to encounter another error.

I can't tell you how to overcome your specific "Eee PC issue", i.e. having neither a recovery disc nor a CD drive, but I can tell you that "FIXMBR" is definitely the right way to solve your problem - it just writes a new MBR to your internal HD and that's what you want. You won't encounter "another error" here when done right - I did this countless times already without any hassles afterwards.

As of your specific problem: Booting XP from an USB flash media is possible assumed you have an installation disc to prepare the stick from. That installation disc does not urgently need to be the recovery disc of your particular Eee PC though (that needs to be enough as a hint here), so I'd try to get an installation disc and watch out for possibilities to create a bootable USB flash media out of it. Maybe there's even another method to recover the MBR but not to my knowledge at least.

[ﻬYuri]

It's easy, get a XP rescure CD and get into DOS mode(even windows98 can work),run fdisk /mbr then use fixmbr or fixboot to fix boot to XP

[SWFu64]

I've never had to use it, but have a look at this.

[prowl3r]

Problem seems to be that grub is by default pointing to BT4 on your sd card, which if not inserted, then produces "drive not found" error.

OK. First boot BT4 from your sd card. Go to /boot/grub/ Copy menu.lst to menu.lst.old. Edit menu.lst and remove any reference to your sd card, linux, or backtrack, this is, remove bootloaders and leave only your XP entry, also ensure "default 0" is there, then save it.

(Note that first sentence starting with the word "title" needs to be your xp entry, so also remove any other "title" entries)

Check your partitions and note them (fdisk -l).

For the purpose of this post let's assume:

Internal first disk: sda1 (equals to hd0 in grub)
sd card reader: sdb1 (equals to hd1 in grub)

Ensure you use yours.

grub

find /boot/grub/stage1

This will return a location (or more than one). hd0 is your first disk, hd1 second, and so on. If only one location is shown, then that's the one you will use in the next command.

If your sd card is hd1, now you need to set the source for menu.lst (which menu.lst is going to be used)

root (hd1,0)

This is an example, we are telling grub to use menu.lst from your second drive.

Now we will instruct grub to write the selected menu.lst to the mbr of your internal disk.

setup (hd0)

once finished, just type

quit

Boot your machine without the sd card.


Edit:

If this procedure does not work, then you will probably need either Supergrub disk or GAG in order to automatically repair your XP mbr, however an external cd reader will be required.

[purehate]

Just fix you xp mbr with the rescue disk recovery console or a boot disc such as Hirens. Its a simple fix.

[prowl3r]

Right, however ...

While both recovery console or fixmbr are the way to go ...

my computer is eee PC 1005ha, so it doesn't have a recovery disc, not even a cd drive.

[purehate]

Right, however ...

While both recovery console or fixmbr are the way to go ...

Hirens can boot from usb as far as I know

[prowl3r]

yeah, you are right, but that's the exact problem. The OP is not proficient at building usb booting stuff

[purehate]

yeah, you are right, but that's the exact problem. The OP is not proficient at building usb booting stuff

Hahaha you are correct. Touche' !