[NTLUG:Discuss] ubuntu 9.10 MBR corrupted!! Grub error 17

[terry]

On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 12:12 PM, lonestar17 <lonestar17 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Hello - All,
>  While upgrading to Karmic, things went down on my laptop compaq presario V2630 amd HP...
> worked perfectly on my Dell desktop, but NOT on my compaq!!
>  Now I can't boot!!
> 55 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0x94e494e4
>
>   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
> /dev/sda1   *           1        5747    46162746    7  HPFS/NTFS
> /dev/sda2            5748        8612    23013112+  83  Linux
> /dev/sda3            8613        8742     1044225    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
> /dev/sda4            8743        9729     7928077+   c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)
> /dev/sda5            8613        8742     1044193+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
> ubuntu at ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk /dev/hda
>
> Unable to open /dev/hda
> ubuntu at ubuntu:~$
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Following an example on line,was wrong. Ubuntu lists HD's as sda1 etc.  However, I still can't open /dev/sda 1/2/3/4/5 http://stringofthoughts.wordpress.com/2009/05/24/grub-error-17-debianubuntu/
>
>  What would happen if I just deleted the ubuntu partition?  I have partition magic on my laptop, that's how Terrence partitioned in the beginning to linux....Would the MBR magically return to windows XP home??
>  Thanks/ everyone for suggestions,
>  John in Dallas.
>
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>


So, I'm assuming you're able to boot to live CD?
If so, do:
  sudo fdisk -l

If  you find you have a corrupted partition table it is sometimes
possible to repair it.  There is a utility on live CD
http://sourceforge.net/projects/gparted/files/gparted-live-stable/OldFiles/0.4.6-1/gparted-live-0.4.6-1.iso/download
that may be of use to you.
-- 
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