MBR Backup problem

[aged hippy]

I was running a dual-boot setup with WinXP/Kubuntu on a 40Gb drive until XP suffered a terminal B.S.O.D. and wouldn't restore from a Ghost backup then refused to re-install, so i made the break and re-partitioned the disk into: 19.5Gb "/" - 19.5Gb "/Home" and 1Gb Swap.

When booting, it hangs for about a minute, then tells me it's checking the file system, then says that there are differences between the MBR and it's backup (Offset original :backup) and a string of numbers, then continues to boot normally.
I think that this is probably why XP wouldn't reinstall, rather than simply being jealous....

Is this likely to lead to problems in the future? is it something fixable? or don't i need to bother about it?

If it's fixable (and would speed up boot-up time) i'd prefer to fix it if possible even if it means having to re-install Kubuntu.

All other imporant documents and information are on a 160Gb slave, i prefer to keep the OS on a separate drive to anything important.


Any guidance or information will be greatly appreciated.

****
It's not a problem any longer... i decided to re-install and put it all on the other HD, although i still get the same message..

Not to worry, i'll leave it as it is.

[Qqmike]

Re: MBR Backup problem

I'm not sure what this is. But until some one who does know shows up, here's my two cents worth. If you wipe that sucker clean – wipe the entire drive, one partition at a time – and re-partition/re-format it, I don't see how it could retain any contamination/corruption. Not if the drive is ok hardware-wise.

My tool of choice is the free, Linux download & burn to CD, the Gnome Partition Editor, GParted:

GParted: http://gparted.sourceforge.net/
GParted how-to: http://www.howtoforge.com/partitioning_with_gparted
Then, re-install Kubuntu.

Or, rather than do all that, first try re-installing just the GRUB bootloader to the MBR:
How To GRUB Methods - Toolkit
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3081671.0
That should overwrite all 512 Bytes of the MBR with good, clean, new GRUB code. It takes just three GRUB commands: root -- setup -- quit.

[Qqmike]

Re: MBR Backup problem

Re-install GRUB to the MBR, quick version:

It looks like your root files are on the first partition. (You can see this if you run in Konsole, the command sudo fdisk –lu). If so:
In Konsole, type
sudo grub
and press Enter.
Then at the grub> prompt:
grub> root (hd0,0) # this is where your root files are: first partition, right?
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> quit
$ exit
re-boot to test it.

(Note the space after root and the space after setup.)

[opie]

Re: MBR Backup problem

"When booting, it hangs for about a minute, then tells me it's checking the file system, then says that there are differences between the MBR and it's backup (Offset original :backup) and a string of numbers, then continues to boot normally."

I don't have an answer but wanted to say that I had that problem under dapper, with a dual boot setup, for a long time and it never caused me any grief. The numbers would change as well at times. I don't think it is that uncommon and I never worried about it.

[aged hippy]

Re: MBR Backup problem

Qqmike, i tried doing the grub setup, but it's still the same.

opie, it's no longer dual-boot. Kubuntu only.


Thank you both very much for your time and help, i think i'll leave it as it is.... just in case...

[Qqmike]

Re: MBR Backup problem

Can't say that I blame ya for leaving well-enough alone. Thanks for the feedback, though.

Qqmike
aka another aging hippie