Category: 
How to Fix your MBR (Master Boot Record)
I have installed linux several times and then got fed up with it or found the need for space and just formatted the drive and got rid of linux but still had the linux lilo boot up screen. While trying to find out how to get rid of it and restore the windows MBR, i used to have so much trouble and even searches in google didnt help. Obviously, I tried to do the “fixmbr” command and using the recovery console of Windows XP but that was of no use and once i had a bigger problem. I dont remember exactly what it was, but i believe it used to ask me for an admin password whereas i didnt have one. So i tried everything but it wouldnt let me go on without entering a password either. It was that time of the year that I had to reinstall my OS but i couldnt boot back in and yet i needed to back up the data on my C drive. So here’s what i did:
Just put in the windows xp installation cd and chose to install xp. you can install it on the same drive or another safe drive. i chose the same drive but in another folder. so it goes through the first process and copies the necessary files and boots up before it really starts installing the files. at that point i took the cd out and cancelled the installation. it had cleared my MBR and put the windows MBR backup with the options to boot from the existing windows installation or the one i was about to start with. so i chose the existing one and once inside windows, just edited the file that gives the boot up options to not show the second one. If this turns out to be useful for anyone kindly let me know.
MSCONFIG.EXE
Microsoft’s greatest tool!
Another feature about this msconfig.exe that can be found in the system folder of windows xp is that it can be used in windows 2000. thats right, just copy the file to windows 2000 and it can be run just the same way. this is the best software to find out if any virus or trojan or something boots up along with your start up of windows. if you find any suspicious entries, uncheck it and it shouldnt log in on the next start up. an example of when this comes in handy is if you have a virus running and try to terminate it with CTRL-ALT-DEL and it doesnt terminate or starts right up again, just look in the msconfig – startup tab and uncheck it if it exists. (sometimes, some other program may exist there and call the virus file to run)
now restart the computer and go ahead and delete the sucker once and for all and make sure to clean out all files. restart your computer again and make sure it hasnt created another entry. one clever trick that i saw the other day was how this guy had a virus running and in the MSCONFIG it showed, SVCH0ST to be running and from the registry it was pointing to C:\windows\system32\SVCH0ST.EXE .Now SVCHOST.EXE is a valid and required windows file and hence one would not go ahead and delete that entry. But as many of you may have noticed, the entry was SVCH0ST with a 0 (as in the number ZERO) and not and O (as in the letter in ZERO).
So always keep your eyes open and trust noone or no software, unless i release some 
If any of you follow any of the instructions above or below this line or anywhere that I have posted, please note that you are doing this at your own risk. It has worked well for me, but it may not work on your computer, or you may not be following it correctly or i may have missed some steps since i am writing things that i had been planning on writing months ago. So please dont abuse/accuse me if something gets messed up. If you still wanna go ahead, be my guest and good luck. If you have any questions or clarifications, send me an email.
This IS my last post for the day/night.
.::Know Your Kernel::.
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