# XP MBR Error



## Highlander II (Mar 10, 2011)

So, my question is - is there a way to run the 'fixmbr' command while Windows XP is running?

I ask b/c I don't know that my system boots into a recovery mode... or that I have the right disc to make it do so.  I have the Recovery disks that I made when I first bought the machine, but don't know if that will let me get to a place to run the 'fixmbr' command.

Anyone know if it does?  Or if I can run the fix while 'inside' Windows?


Yes... stupid machine went 'oh noes! there is a boot record error! fail!' and I've restored to factory settings... omg so so annoying... but it still has that error.  *sigh*


** is lucky all pertinent data is stored on an external **


----------



## Cayal (Mar 10, 2011)

Highlander II said:


> So, my question is - is there a way to run the 'fixmbr' command while Windows XP is running?
> 
> I ask b/c I don't know that my system boots into a recovery mode... or that I have the right disc to make it do so.  I have the Recovery disks that I made when I first bought the machine, but don't know if that will let me get to a place to run the 'fixmbr' command.
> 
> ...



I don't know if this will help but it says you can run it in Recovery console:

Master Boot Record - How To Repair the Master Boot Record In Windows XP - Fixmbr

Running in DOS (Command Prompt)

http://www.computerhope.com/fixmbr.htm


----------



## Highlander II (Mar 10, 2011)

Yeah - I looked at that first one, but my recovery console doesn't come up that way.  I don't have the options that they display... I have the option to 'restore' (factory settings) or something else, that I don't remember... but nothing as far as getting to a DOS prompt to enter the 'fixmbr' command.

The 2nd link is little help b/c it assumes that you have the XP installation CD - which I don't.  I have the recovery disks that I made when I got the machine, but that does the same as the recovery console.


----------



## Highlander II (Mar 14, 2011)

Okay, so, turns out that the MBR error was a result of the machine making grand attempts to boot off the graphics card in the PCI slot.  No, I have no idea how that happened, only that my sister's friend had to poke the BIOS to fix it.

However, I now have a NEW problem - I can't use the graphics card for its intended purpose B/C the machine tries to boot from it if I restart the machine.

Anyone know how to solve that one?

The graphics card works... but I don't know how to keep the machine from trying to boot the mini-harddrive on the card rather than the main harddrive on the machine.


----------



## The Ace (Mar 14, 2011)

Have you tried going into the BIOS and selecting the big hard drive to boot first ?


----------



## Highlander II (Mar 15, 2011)

Yeah - that's what my sis's friend did.

However - as it turns out, that's not the actual problem.  B/c I removed the graphics card and it's *still* giving me the MBR error.

So, I think imma take it to some Tech guys who will clean it up and make it all shiny again... =)  Or - as shiny as a 7y/o PC can be.


----------



## Highlander II (Mar 29, 2011)

Well, by process of elimination (having not restarted it since coming to this potential conclusion) - I believe the MBR error is coming from the xternal harddrive...

no idea why the thing is trying to boot off the external - i never changed anything in the BIOS to *tell* it to do that, but it obviously got that idea in it's head somewhere...

tech-guy played with the BIOS and it may be reset correctly now - though, not sure since I didn't have the xHD w/ me at the time, so we'll have to see when I reboot later.


----------

