SDB:Restoring Windows MBR

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Tested on openSUSE

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Situation

You currently have a dualboot configuration with Windows and openSUSE. You want to restore your Master Boot Record to its pre-Linux state.

Procedure

If you're running Windows XP or newer, you can restore the MBR with your Windows install CD.

  • Windows XP: boot from the install CD and start the Recovery Console. Log in to your system, then run fixboot and fixmbr on the MS-DOS prompt. For step-by-step instructions on this process, visit the Microsoft Knowledgebase article on the Recovery Console.
  • Windows Vista and newer: Windows Vista introduced a GUI-based problem fixer so that you no longer need to use the command-line Recovery Console for these tasks. Startup Repair is the option that will fix your MBR. Instructions are available here.

Please note that this will make it impossible for you to boot into openSUSE. If you still need access to your openSUSE install, you'll need to use the install DVD or Plop Boot Manager every time you need to boot into openSUSE.

In practice, the only reason why people revert their MBR to its pre-Linux state is because they want to uninstall Linux. Don't forget that although you can no longer boot into openSUSE, its partitions are still physically present on your hard disk. To delete those, you can use a partition manager.