Error 71: What is it?

No it is not Ubuntu left in the BIOS. You would have to work really ahrd to get any part of Linux in your machine BIOS, and you would certainly know it if it was.

This is Windows not wiping the entire HD, it didn't clear the MBR of the drive, and thus GRUB is still left there, but with no /boot partition anymore from linux it can't load completely. You need to make sure you delete your partitions, then wipe the drive, and then install Windows. I tihnk the windows setup can do all of the above, but you do have to tell it to.

Course you can alwas give her the computer with Ubuntu on it and see how she does

Seablade

Heh well that was said in jest, however I wil say it can be amazing what people will not notice if you set up the machine for them before hand. I say this having done similar in educational computer labs That being said, my comment above is still in jest.

You shouldn't need an external enclosure to wipe the drive. I am fairly certain that the Windows install process will do everything I mentioned IIRC.

Seablade

Oh... you are stuck with an OEM install/recover disk aren't you?

Bah that is annoying.

One thing you can do is use a LiveCD of Linux to wipe the hard drive then, again no external enclosure needed.

Seablade

The problem you're having is that after having removed Linux from your computer's HDD, the OS boot loader you were using, GRUB, left it's boot code on the master boot record (MBR) of the HDD. This can't be corrected by just repartitioning the HDD, but it is very easy to reinstall the Windows boot code to the MBR, and as seablade states, you don't need to purchase anything else in order to do this. Just perform the following steps;

1) Boot from the Windows XP CD
2) Press the "R" key during the setup in order to start the Recovery Console
3) Select your Windows XP installation from the list and enter the administrator password
4) At the input prompt, enter the command "fixmbr" and then confirm by pressing y
5) Next enter the command "fixboot", and then confirm by pressing y
6) Lastly, press "exit" to reboot the computer.

(BTW, you enter the fixmbr and fixboot commands WITHOUT the quote " characters) The MBR will be rewritten and GRUB will at that point be fully uninstalled.

Good Luck..

jasn-

The point that he made earlier I think was that he has a custom OEM disk from the manufacturer that doesn't seem to be as functional as it should be(See comments about not being able to select partitions to delete, etc.). However good suggestion and maybe that functionality is still in there.

Seablade

I think you're right. Rereading the first post certainly suggests that the "Windows Restore" CD is only a utility that restores an image file to the HDD. As a result, there isn't an ability to get to the XP Recovery Console to repair the MBR, (since the Windows XP setup program doesn't run). Unfortunately booting to Linux, (for example, via a LiveCD), and deleting the partitions on the HDD won't restore the MBR, since it's not located in a partition, but rather at a Main Boot Record area in front of the first partition. As a result the MBR needs to be specifically targeted and updated.

There is a way to update an MBR in order to remove the GRUB code, and reinstall the Windows code, using a Linux LiveCD. It just takes a bit of command line work. It's covered for an Ubuntu (or Mint) LiveCD boot, at this post, of this thread, over at the Ubuntu Users forum. Here's another explanation of the same process, but with a bit more detail added. If you have questions before you do it, please post them here, and we can always advise.

Another method, (which requires access to another Windows PC, the Windows XP installation files, an internet connection, and a CD burner), is to visit The Ultimate Boot CD for Windows website, download the latest UBCD4WinVxxx.exe program to that computer, and create a bootable UBCD4Win CD. (Unfortunately due to licensing issues, you need to provide the UBCD4Win installation program with the actual Windows installation files, in order to build a Windows bootable CD). You can now boot the problem computer with the newly created UBCD4Win CD, and run the MBR Fix utility, which will restore the HDD's MBR.

FYI. It's always a great idea to have some form of bootable OS repair and recovery CD available, and up to date, for moments like this. In addition to the aforementioned UBCD4Win, specifically for Windows system, the following CDs are very useful to have on hand, (for Linux, Windows, and/or barebone systems);

The Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD)
System Rescue CD

Good Luck..

Sorry for not posting this information previously but one of the best solutions to fixing MBR and boot issues, is to use the Super Grub Disk to fix them. It's easy to use and in this case to restore a Windows MBR, with Super Grub Disk you would need to simply;

1. Boot your SGD (floppy disk, USB disk or CD)
2. Select English Super Grub Disk
3. Select Windows
4. Select Fix Boot of Windows

Well worth checking out.

Good Luck..

Good one here jasn. REP

cheers ...

I realize I'm late to the party but for others who might have similar problems it seems an obvious solution was overlooked. Why not simply set grub to boot windows? Easily googled/done, no special boot-disks/tools needed and grub is a reliable and robust boot loader.