Removing the Linux LILO Boot Manager
ID: Q171611
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The information in this article applies to:
-
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0
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Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.50, 3.51, 4.0
SUMMARY
This article describes how to remove the LILO boot manager from the Master
Boot Record (MBR).
MORE INFORMATION
When Linux is installed on your computer, it allows a dual boot by loading
a boot manager called LILO directly into the MBR. To remove LILO, perform
the following steps:
If Linux is Still Installed
Run LILO with either the -u or -U switch. The device name has to be the
second parameter.
- For example, if LILO is installed to the MBR of the master drive on the
primary IDE controller, the command would be:
lilo -u /dev/hda
Where dev is the device directory, hd indicates an IDE hard drive, and a
indicates the master on the primary IDE channel.
- To use with a SCSI drive, run lilo -u /dev/sda where sd indicates a SCSI
drive and a indicates the first drive in the chain.
- If there are multiple partitions on the drive, indicate the partition
number for LILO to uninstall by adding a number corresponding to the
partition number on the drive, starting the count at 1 (not 0). For
example,
lilo -u /dev/sda1
removes LILO from the first SCSI drive, first partition.
NOTE: The sda indicator has nothing to do with the SCSI ID number.
If Linux is Not Installed
NOTE: The following procedure is not supported by Microsoft and is done
strictly at the discretion of the user. Microsoft assumes no liability for
lost or corrupted data. This procedure should be done only as a last
resort.
IMPORTANT: fdisk /mbr removes the disk signature from the MBR. If this
drive is a member of a Windows NT fault tolerance set, it will no longer be
recognized as a member of that set.
- Use the Windows NT Resource Kit Disksave.exe utility to back up the MBR
and boot sector.
- Boot to MS-DOS and type the following:
fdisk /mbr
- Restart your computer.
The computer should start normally. If the computer does not start
normally, boot to an MS-DOS boot disk and run Disksave again to restore the
MBR and boot sector. You may also need to run Fdisk to specify the new
active partition to boot.
The only difference between the two switches is that -u checks the time
stamp on the current MBR and the backed-up one, whereas -U does not check
the time stamp at all.
The third-party products discussed here are manufactured by vendors
independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise,
regarding these products' performance or reliability.
Additional query words:
ntldr boot
Keywords : kb3rdparty kbsetup ntboot nthowto NTSrvWkst
Version : WinNT:3.5,3.51,4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type :
Last Reviewed: February 23, 1999