Problems with removing Mint from Windows machine

[greenjoe]

I had installed Mint (Felicia) as a dual boot on my laptop with Win XP. I thought it would be nice to have Linux running on it when I was away from home, but found that I never used it. On the advice of a friend I used Gparted to delete Mint and expand the partition for the Win to the max. I thought that I could use my Win install disk to get to the "command console" and run FIXMBR to remove the GRUB command in the boot sector. When I ran the Win install disk I got to the point where it asked for the "Administration Password" I found I had never set one. I have used the Install Disk before to run CHKDSK /R and never had any problem of just leaving the Password blank. Now I can't get past it. I have tried setting a password in the BIOS setup (F12) and it works within the BIOS, but when I try it to get to the "command console" it is rejected as invalid. I realize that this is mainly a Windows problem, but maybe someone who has found themselves in a similar situation might have some idea of how to deal with the problem. I have tried several approaches; different passwords, no password, I even tried loading my "live" Mint disk, but it doesn't see the Windows BIOS setup.
Part of my reasoning in removing Mint was because I needed the disk space for my Windows stuff (and like a dummy didn't do a back up of all the Win apps. or the data there). I thought it would be a very simple process, but this password thing has me stumped. I could use help if anyone has ideas. Thanks in advance....

[remoulder]

Are you saying you can no longer boot into Windows? If not why can't you do that and set an administrator p/w?

[greenjoe]

Since my original posting I have gone to the Microsoft support sites and found my problem isn't unique. Apparently Dell uses something called "Sysprep" or "Sysprep 2.0" to install Windows on their computers and that is the source of the problem. It does some strange things with p/w's in how they are placed in the Registry.
I can set the Admin. p/w in the BIOS setup, but when I enter the new p/w trying to get to the command console after running my Windows setup disk, I get the message that the p/w is invalid. If I just try to boot my computer without the setup disk, or without going to F12, I get a GRUB error. If I could get Win to boot to the desktop I could use RUN and the command FIXMBR and the problem would be solved.
Maybe this clarifies my problem a bit more.
Thanks for responding.

[Fred]

greenjoe,

Download and burn SuperGrub live cd iso. Then boot the Supergrub CD. It will allow you to boot into your Windows install. It also has a repair function that will let you fix the Windows mbr if you wish to use it.

http://developer.berlios.de/project/sho ... p_id=10921

At the bottom of the page.

Fred

[remoulder]

Apparently Dell uses something called "Sysprep

Sysprep is merely a way of pre-configuring the installation so that setting up each new machine's hard drive is merely a matter of running a script to end up with identically cloned machines. When you (the customer) switch your new Dell on for the first time, the pre-configured settings ensure you don't have to go through the rigmarole of installing the OS from scratch.

I can set the Admin. p/w in the BIOS

This has absolutely nothing to do with the OS Administrator password. The recovery console is asking for the OS Administrator p/w. To set this you need to boot into Windows and set the Administrator p/w in Control Panel | Users if it hasn't got one. If it has and you don't know it you'll have to ask Dell.

[gordon.cooke]

I made a mistake a few weeks ago and broke my Vista. It wasnt exactly the same trouble as yours (Im still using grub) but I used a great tool - NeoSmart Vista Recovery Disc

http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/R ... om+the+DVD

It has a tool to repair booting (theres also version for Win7)

Hope this helps.

[remoulder]

http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/R ... om+the+DVD

Good link, thanks.