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How to Remove the Linux LILO Boot Manager

Article ID: 315224 - View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q315224

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SUMMARY

This article describes how to remove the Linux LILO boot manager from the master boot record (MBR).

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MORE INFORMATION

If Linux is installed on your computer, Linux allows a dual boot by loading a boot manager called LILO directly into the MBR. To remove LILO, follow the appropriate procedure.

If Linux Is Still Installed

At a command prompt, run the lilo command and use either the -u or the -U option. The device name must be the second parameter. The only difference between the two options is that -u checks the time stamp on the current MBR and on the backed-up MBR, and -U does not check the time stamp at all.

If LILO is installed to the MBR of the master drive on the primary IDE controller, type
lilo -u /dev/hda
where dev is the device directory, hd indicates an IDE hard disk, and the a option indicates the master on the primary IDE channel.
If you want to use the command on a SCSI drive, type
lilo -u /dev/sda
where sd indicates a SCSI drive and a indicates the first drive in the SCSI chain.
If the drive has multiple partitions, indicate the partition from which you want to uninstall LILO by adding the number that corresponds to the partition number on the drive, starting the count at 1 (not 0). For example, to remove LILO from the first partition of the first SCSI drive, type:
lilo -u /dev/sda1
Note that sda is not related to the SCSI ID number.

If Linux Is Not Still Installed

NOTE: The following procedure is not supported by Microsoft and is performed strictly at the discretion of the user. Microsoft assumes no liability for lost or corrupted data. This procedure should be performed only as a last resort.

IMPORTANT: Running fdisk /mbr removes the disk signature from the MBR. If the drive is a member of a Windows fault tolerance set, the drive is no longer recognized as a member of that set.

Boot to MS-DOS, and then type the following:
fdisk /mbr
Restart your computer.

The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

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