How to fix "GRUB error 17" problem on laptop without working CD reader

I broke the laptop. How did I break it?

I remember feeling happy about wubi. Now I feel bad about wubi and everything that I did.

I used the partition editor within Windows (System Tools - administration) and removed my 11 GB partition of ubuntu. This was how my laptop has been partitioned EVER since I dual booted it three or so years ago.

Now.

This is what my LCD says:

<pre> GRUB 1.5 Loading GRUB Error 17 </pre> 

I shall fix my laptop next weekend, when I have time. I actually don't know if I should fix the CD, or try booting from a USB (Damn small linux on USB seems to run then it went blank as well), or get the hard drive swapped out, install linux through a computer which has a working CD Drive, re-insert it into the computer.

Any suggestions? I want the easiest answers.

3 Answers

If you have a Windows install CD, try booting recovery with that -- there should be some way of restoring the MBR, which will get you back to a booting Windows system for now.

Wondering why you deleted the Linux partition, though? If you were planning on re-installing, you should have just done that and skipped the delete part.

Try INSERT linux.

it worked.

-works in linux or windows, its a project that creates a bootable usb disk for you.