How to start a windows partition from the Grub command line?

Question

I have Windows 7 installed on my system. After I installed Windows 7, I installed Fedora on a separate partition so that I could dual boot.

I removed Fedora by deleting the partition it was installed on. Now I am unable to start my system. On boot, my system stops at the Grub command line.

I want to boot to my Windows 7 installation which I haven't removed from my system.

This is displayed on startup

GNU GRUB version 0.97-71.fc15 (634k lower /306122k upper momory)<br> [
minimal BASH-like editing is supported.for the first word, TAB lists
possible commands completions.anywhere else TAB lists the possible
completion of device/filename.]
grub>

How can I boot my Windows partition from this grub command?

Answer 1

The ultimate goal is to restore the Master Boot Record (MBR) to the hard drive, removing Grub, so you can boot to your Windows partition in the future without stopping at the Grub command line.

The easiest way to achieve this is to boot from your Windows 7 installation media. Use the Repair computer link and choose Command Line. At the command line, enter bootsect /nt60 SYS /mbr. You can reboot your system and it will now boot into Windows.

Answer 2

In addition to what uther suggests, you can also attempt to boot Windows directly from GRUB. You're using GRUB 0.97 (i.e. Grub ‘legacy’), so try this:

chainload (hd0,0)+1

This will boot the first sector (+1) of the first partition (,0) of the first HD (hd0). Your partition layout may be different. Press Tab once or twice after typing the opening parenthesis (() to get a listing of your partitions and choose the one you need.

The first sector of a Windows partition is its bootloader, and chainload is the way GRUB boots Windows normally.

If this works, and you get to Windows, you should do as uther suggests: open a shell (Start → Run… → type cmd Enter), then rewrite the Windows MBR with bootsect /nt60 SYS /mbr. That should stop GRUB from running on boot.

Answer 3

Possible partitions are: Partition num: 0, Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x7 Partition num: 4, Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x7 Partition num: 5, Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x7

Please help - this is what I get on hitting tab after chainload. Unable to boot into windows or ubuntu. I'm a n00b, how do I boot?