Ubuntu
grub2 package

  1. Bug #730225
  2. Comment #6

Comment 6 for bug 730225

Revision history for this message
billbear (ninth-9) wrote : Re: grub-install trashes ntfs partition when sector 32 of the hard disk is occupied by Adobe FlexNet

Hi Wei-Yee Chan,

FlexNet is not a independent software, it's part of many proprietary Windows-based softwares (in most cases huge Adobe products: Photoshop, Dreamweaver, After Effects, Flash Catalyst, Acrobat Pro ...), it may install without your acknowledgement or authorization. Once any of these Adobe products is installed, FlexNet silently and secretly writes code in the boot track. The code will permanently be there even if you uninstall, format partitions, delete partitions, or repartition. Its purpose is to prevent people from gaining another trial period even if you reinstall the whole OS.

Though you don't know it, FlexNet is there at sector 50. You can find the signatures from the files (sda.1, sda.2) you attached at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+bug/716865:
ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Downloads$ cat sda.1 | hd | grep "d8 41 a0 f5 02 00 02 00"
00006400 d8 41 a0 f5 02 00 02 00 49 d3 61 f0 50 50 15 84 |.A......I.a.PP..|
ubuntu@ubuntu:~/Downloads$ cat sda.2 | hd | grep "d8 41 a0 f5 02 00 02 00"
00006400 d8 41 a0 f5 02 00 02 00 49 d3 61 f0 50 50 15 84 |.A......I.a.PP..|