From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Jan 9 02:37:55 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 328961065673 for ; Fri, 9 Jan 2009 02:37:55 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from gpeel@thenetnow.com) Received: from thenetnow.com (constellation.thenetnow.com [65.39.193.155]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0A9A18FC08 for ; Fri, 9 Jan 2009 02:37:54 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from gpeel@thenetnow.com) Received: from hpeel.ody.ca ([216.240.12.2] helo=GRANTLAPTOP) by constellation.thenetnow.com with esmtpa (Exim 4.63 (FreeBSD)) (envelope-from ) id 1LL7Fw-0002Z7-Ny; Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:37:52 -0500 Message-ID: From: "Grant Peel" To: "Steve Bertrand" , "Kurt Buff" References: <4966A975.5050202@ibctech.ca> In-Reply-To: <4966A975.5050202@ibctech.ca> Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2009 21:37:28 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Windows Mail 6.0.6001.18000 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.0.6001.18049 Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: FreeBSD Boot Manager X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 09 Jan 2009 02:37:55 -0000 So then, IF we are able to restore the Windows MBR, and boot into windows, should we not be able to boot the machine with a bootable FreeBSD disk, then, use Sysinstall to restore the FreeBSD boot manager? -Grant ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Bertrand" To: "Kurt Buff" Cc: "Grant Peel" ; Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 8:33 PM Subject: Re: FreeBSD Boot Manager > Kurt Buff wrote: >> On Thu, Jan 8, 2009 at 5:17 PM, Grant Peel wrote: > >>> On that drive, there was about 100 GB of free space, so I decided to try >>> putting FreeBSD 6.4 on it. >>> >>> During the install, I opted to use the Free BSD boot manage. The install >>> went flawlessly. > >>> Any idea what I might need to do to make windows work again? >>> >>> It may be worth mentioning, I had Norton GoBack running on the disk >>> before I installed FreeBSD, although I am not aware if it does anything >>> to the booting system. > >> www.bootdisk.com >> >> Find a bootable floppy image there that includes a DOS fdisk, and >> write it out to a floppy disk. >> >> Boot your machine with that floppy, and at the DOS prompt, type 'fdisk >> /mbr' - it will write a standard boot sector, and Windows should boot >> again. >> >> Of course, this will not allow you to boot to your new FreeBSD >> installation, but with other folks' help, you can probably overcome >> that - probably with GRUB, or another boot manager. > > Technically (theoretically) speaking, using a Win32 boot disk to fdisk > /mbr, he should be able to re-initialize the FBSD boot loader by going > through the steps he did initially. > > AFAIR, Symantec GoBack, along with many other 'in-disk' restoration > programs, overwrite the boot sector with its own code. > > If the OP can boot back into Windows with the fdisk /mbr, he has likely > done both: > > - broke his GoBack program's ability to recover, and; > - made it possible to restore the FBSD boot manager > > If Windows boots after following Kurt's recommendation of restoring the > Windows MBR, back up your Windows system, then try FreeBSD again. > > You sound courageous, give 'er! > > > Steve >