Comment 22 for bug 46520

Sam - to ensure - I will never get into this situation ( yep I was in your
situation too - my Ubuntu install wrote on MBR over XP loader - so I can't
boot any OS ).

If you have XP - U can recover XP boot with a bootable win98 floppy with :
fixmbr command afer the floppy boot is complete OR from your Windows CD (
details here :
http://amazingrando.wordpress.com/2007/04/05/fixmbr-is-your-friend/ )

........................................

on the linux side :
I'm afraid you have to reinstall Ubuntu from an Ubuntu Hardy CD

if you want to protect your data on linux partitions for further troubles -
do partitions as I do - a boot partition ( first ), a swap partition (
second ), a root partition ( third ), and finally a home partition.

so you need to mark them at the manual partitioning phase, like that:
    1 = /boot
    2 = /swap
    3 = /root
    4 = /home

my /boot has 500mb
my /swap has 2000mb
my /root has 65% from rest of space
my /home has 35% from rest of space

if you have doal boot - U have to put Grub over XP loader where XP is
installed ( on the partition where XP is located ). Grub will recognize XP
loader and will offer you as a boot option.

Also if you have a /home partition your data is safe ...even if your linux
is gone - you can install other linux and after boot your data will be there
...

2008/9/14 Sam Brightman <email address hidden>

> As I said above, upgrading from Gutsy to Hardy left me with a machine
> that would not boot.
>
> --
> Grub installs to wrong drive's MBR in default install. No way to change in
> standard installer.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/46520
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

--
Nemes Ioan Sorin