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

[lonestar17]

terry wrote:
> 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.
>   
===============================================================
Thanks Terry for your reply.  Where is the utility on the Live CD?  I've 
been using terminal with all the suggested formats, which none work.
I can boot from my 8.10 CD ok.....No one told be about the """ utility 
""" on the CD!!
I even tried to reinstall grub from the repository - won't work!
Can you tell from my fdisk -l if something is corrupted?
I'm not particularly interested in getting Ubuntu back, I have a good 
working 9.10 on my desktop.
But, I DO need my windows xp home working on my laptop....Can I simply 
delete the ubuntu partition; will it revert back to the windows MBR?
Thanks for your help.
John in Dallas.