You CAN Fix Grub Errors

Maybe you've just deleted a Linux distro from a dual-boot configuration and discovered to your horror that your computer no longer boots into Windows.  Maybe you've suddenly come face to face with the cold, emotionless Windows Boot Manager screen of death.  Don't feel bad, I just did that today.  Even as a prior Microsoft support engineer and AT&T operations manager of Unix systems, I had a hard time finding a working solution for this simple boot record update and decided I'd write an article to help anyone else who hits this same road block.

First, I will tell you that you'll find an awfully lot of people out there that seem to really believe running the install disk and then Startup repair is an absolute solve all for this issue - which is really pretty funny, because it isn't in most cases.  Then I will tell you that there are even more doomsday advocate type people (probably posting in these forums from an underground nuclear fallout/zombie apocalypse shelter) that say it can't be fixed, that people who encounter a grub error are doomed and must completely re-image the computer and lose all their data.

I admit I fell for the Microsoft "Startup repair" prank.  As a previous Microsoft employee, should I have known better?  You're damn right I should have, but anyway, I didn't believe that this was an end of the world scenario and was happy to find that my suspicions were completely justified when I stumbled on a real solution to the problem.

So there are a number of solutions to the problem and I'm going to list a few of them based on user circumstance.  If you happen to have an install disk for your OS (and it doesn't have to be the same exact version you're running either) then I have three lines of command prompt code that will make all your problems go away.  If on the other hand, you don't have the install disk, I found a light Microsoft utility that should probably do the trick and it even has cross compatibility with Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8.

So for the install disk utilities solution, simply insert your Windows installation disk and when you see the prompt to "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD," press any key.

Next you'll see the ever classic windows install loader, letting you know you're on the right track.  On the next screen select your language and click Continue as if you were going to install the OS.

On the 'Install Windows' screen, you will need to click on Repair your computer.

Under System Recovery options, you'll need to tick the rather wordy Use recovery tools that can help fix problems starting Windows. Select an operating system to repair option.

Now in the recovery tools, click on 'Command Prompt