Botched Dual Boot install - Boot manager error

[sirana]

I had a dual boot of Windows XP and Ubuntu and wanted to change to an dual boot of Vista and Ubuntu. I deleted all the partitions of the one hard drive (which turned out to be a really bad idea) and format them with ntfs. Now when I try to install Vista I get a Blue Screen of Death (Stop error: last line is fastfat.sys and some hex-adresses)

When I try to boot "normally" I get a GRUB error 22 (GRUB is the Ubuntu boot manager)

My interpretation is that my MBR still has Grub in it and since it points to nothing I get this error. I tried to get it out of the MBR via the Windows Recovery Console (fixmbr) but that hasn't changed anything.

My current state is this:

HardDisk 1 (this was the original disk, where both Windows XP and Ubuntu were installed):

1. Partition: NTFS 130GB (Windows sees this as D:\)

2. Partition: NTFS 100 GB(Windows sees this as E:\)

HardDisk 2(Data):

1. Parition: FAT32 500 GB (Windows sees this as C:\)

I am quite at a loss what to do, I already tried installing XP, but that runs against the same GRUB error 22.

If my clueless actions didn't give it away, I'm pretty much a newbie. Help is much appreciated.

[Alan2273]

If you have deleted the XP installation from your C:/ drive you have destroyed the MBR, and you cannot use the recovery console to fix it.

The easiest way to install XP again (I do not know about Vista) is to disconnect the Ubuntu drive from inside the computer and you should be able to install XP again.

If that does not work you can get you hands dirty and repair the grub menu from the Live CD.

Using the Ubuntu/Install CD

Enter your computers BIOS to check computer can boot from CD ROM. If you can boot from CD, insert CD ROM into drive. Exit the BIOS (if needed save your settings to make sure the computer boots from the CD ROM).

When the Ubuntu splash screen comes up with the boot: prompt, type in rescue and press enter.

Choose your language, location (country) and then keyboard layout as if you were doing a fresh install.

Enter a host name, or leave it with the default (Ubuntu).

At this stage you are presented with a screen where you can select which partition is your root partition (there is a list of the partitions on your hard drive, so you are required to know which partition number Ubuntu is on). This will be dev/discs/disc0/partX, where the X is a partition number.

you are then presented with a command prompt (a hash).

type $ grub-install /dev/hdaX where X is your Ubuntu root install.

Using the /Install CD and Overwriting the Windows bootloader

Boot your computer with the Ubuntu CD

Go through the installation process until you reach "[!!!] Disk Partition"

Select Manual Partition

Mount your appropriate linux partions:

/

/boot

swap

...

DO NOT FORMAT THEM.

Finish the manual partition

Say "Yes" when it asks you to save the changes

It will give you errors saying that "the system couldn't install ....." after that

Ignore them, keep select "continue" until you get back to the Ubuntu installation menu

Jump to "Install Grub ...."

Once it is finished, just restart your computer

[sirana]

Thanks for the answer, I have solved the problem finally by using the fixmbr the right way, on the device and not the partition.