fdisk /mbr = fixmbr = mbrfix for Windows

When installing linux LILO to MBR (master boot record), it sometimes happens that MBR is accidentally destroyed and your computer shows bunch of weird 0 and 1 (zeros and ones). You won't be able to boot to Windows anymore and booting is impossible if you do not have rescue or system diskette available for Windows 2000 or Windows XP. You will have to use the best utility for recreating MBR (master boot record) after destroying it with LILO - we have found the util fixmbr does not work in Windows NT, 2000, XP, so use MBRFix utility instead.

If you find this free service useful, you could say thanks to the author by buying him something from his Amazon wishlist

LILO - Master Boot Record destroyed

Also please note that we just found this utility and are not authors. As far as we know it is free to redistribute it for no charge. We would like to thank to original author (unknown) that has xcreated this and posted it to one forum. It saved our MBR - master boot record after being destroyed or at least somehow changed with LILO. LILO was unable to boot and just shoed bunch of zeros and ones, very strange. This could happen when you put Linux LILO directly to MBR.

Sometime you have to buy the same software, but this utility can help you to renew your MBR master boot record for windows, linux etc.

Download fixmbr - MbrFix tool to repair master boot record

MbrFix is same as fixmbr or fdisk /mbr, but works in any Windows including Windows NT, XP, 2000, 2k.

Fdisk /mbr does not help

Fdisk utility is not available for Windows NT, 2000 and XP and your operating system will not run it. So, it is advised to use mbrfix available at this page to renew your master boot record when destroyed by Linux LILO. You can even easily run this utility from any rescue diskette or USB floppy disk or even directly from under Windows 2000.

Recommended use of mbrfix to run Windows again

  1. Create any bootable floppy disk/diskette A: (even with older Windows systems)
  2. Run MbrFix to see the current list of partitions: mbrfix /drive 0 listpartitions
  3. Run MbrFix in the following way: mbrfix /drive 0 fixmbr
  4. If you have more than 1 physicial hard disk (hard drive), you have to use proper number for your disk. E.g. change 0 to sdifferent number (1, 2 etc.)
Ambience - any comments or questions?