From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Feb 17 09:33:22 2012 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2525F106564A for ; Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:33:22 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from perryh@pluto.rain.com) Received: from agora.rdrop.com (unknown [IPv6:2607:f678:1010::34]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id F11068FC15 for ; Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:33:21 +0000 (UTC) Received: from agora.rdrop.com (66@localhost [127.0.0.1]) by agora.rdrop.com (8.13.1/8.12.7) with ESMTP id q1H9XAJm033386 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NOT); Fri, 17 Feb 2012 01:33:10 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from perryh@pluto.rain.com) Received: (from uucp@localhost) by agora.rdrop.com (8.13.1/8.14.2/Submit) with UUCP id q1H9XApo033385; Fri, 17 Feb 2012 01:33:10 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from perryh@pluto.rain.com) Received: from fbsd81 ([192.168.200.81]) by pluto.rain.com (4.1/SMI-4.1-pluto-M2060407) id AA09971; Fri, 17 Feb 12 01:28:05 PST Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:26:55 -0800 From: perryh@pluto.rain.com To: silverskymusic2@gmail.com Message-Id: <4f3e7fcf.HAl2rACbehr3sfWu%perryh@pluto.rain.com> References: <201202160154.q1G1sMpc043081@mail.r-bonomi.com> <201202161753.q1GHr5wT011479@fire.js.berklix.net> In-Reply-To: User-Agent: nail 11.25 7/29/05 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: jhs@berklix.com, freebsd-questions@freebsd.org, bonomi@mail.r-bonomi.com Subject: Re: Technical Support Question X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:33:22 -0000 Chip Oakley wrote: > Am tempted to remove the drive and insert a new one, not sure as > there is memory on the drive available and nothing really wrong > with it. If you don't mind losing everything currently on the drive, overwriting the MBR -- and the backup GPT at the end of the drive, if the BIOS supports GPT/UEFI -- would surely keep it from booting into Windows. You'd probably have to take the drive out, and connect it to a different machine (since this one's BIOS seems hardwired to boot only from the hard drive). Another possibility would be to clear the machine's CMOS, if there's a way to do that. Desktop mainboards usually have a jumper for the purpose; dunno about Samsung laptops but removing the CMOS battery and giving it a few minutes for the stray capacitance to discharge should suffice. (Getting to the CMOS battery may involve taking the case apart.)