Windows 9x/ME = fdisk /mbr Windows 2000/XP = Fixmbr
fixmbr
Fixmbr Page 265 of the CompTIA A+ Guide to Software
The master boot program, and the partition table.
Insert your Windows CD/DVD, use it to boot to a command prompt, and from ther just type FIXMBR and hit enter. Simple as pie!
Fdisk/status
To fix the Master Boot Record on a Windows 2000/xp computer you must: 1. Boot to the install media 2. When prompted, choose Repair. ultimately, you'll access the Repair Console 3. If necessary, log into your Windows application 4. There is a utility on the install media called FIXMBR.exe, On the command prompt, type FIXMBR and press enter. When Windows is installed, it creates the Master Boot Record on the first sector of the first hard drive. It makes a second copy or backup of the Master Boot Record immediately after the original on the hard drive. FIXMBR copies this backup copy of the MBR to the MBR location. If you still cannot boot, repeat steps 1-3 above: 4. There is a utility on the install media called FIXBOOT.exe. on the command prompt, type FIXBOOT and press enter. When FIXMBR fails to restore the Master Boot Record, FIXBOOT will read the information of the install and rebuild the master boot record from scratch and install it on the first sector of the hard drive. It will also create the backup.
MBR Master Boot RecordA Master Boot Record (MBR), or partition sector, is the 512-byte boot sector that is the first sector ("Sector 0") of a partitioned data storage device such as a hard disk. ( from: http://whitehouse.com)
The boot record will not boot anymore or more precisely the message "NTLDR is missing" will be displayed. To remedy this situation boot with a copy of windows and use the "Recovery Console" in the boot menu and at the command prompt type the following: fixmbr and hit enter. Although there is a risk, there isin't much else you can do.
FALSE
The master boot record is always located at cylinder 0, head 0, and sector 1, the first sector on the disk.
Boot virus
The "bootrec fixboot" command is used in Windows Recovery Environment to repair issues with the Master Boot Record (MBR) or Boot Configuration Data (BCD) that may be preventing Windows from booting correctly. This command can help resolve startup problems and restore the Windows boot process.