What do update MBR and correct MBR do?

Ieep in mind that the master boot record is how your computer knows where its partitions are. It contains the partition table. If you have multiple partitions, then if you overwrite your master boot record with the generic record created by Windows' fixmbr command, your system "may" not boot and may not be able to find any of its files. I have read repeatedly online that even though Paragon lets you back up your master boot record, its fix mbr utility does exactly what Windows' fixmbr command does.

According to the manual, "The program enables to overwrite the current bootable code in the MBR (Master Boot Reocrd) by the standard bootstrap code. This can help to repair a corrupted botoable code of a hard disk resulted from a boot virus attack or a malfunction of boot management software."

It warns, "Current MBR contetns for hard disk number 0 will be lost after this operation. Your computer may no longer boot correctly".

Under teh create backup capsule instructions it says, "By default the program allows the user to create the backup capsule only as the llast primary or the last logical drive within the extended partition. However, by activating the advance mode on the first page of the wizard you can remove this restriction that in its turn might cause some boot problems".

Keep in mind that when Chinese gets mistranslated to English "some" is usually a meaningless word. Written by an English speaker it would mean, "occasionally causes boot problems". Written by a Chinese speaker, it typically means, ".. in its turn may cause boot problems", which actually means "in its turn is likely to cause boot problems".

It also says, "This operation will result in overwriting the current MBR. To avoid whatever consequence you can save the current MBR with the hlep of the edit/ view sectors tool." Unclear if the old MBR will be able to find the backup capsule once you put it back.

The ONLY think clear from this is that when you create a backup capsule it will make a new generic mbr and your machine may not boot, and unclear if you can undo the damage.

Under what to do if a virus corrupts teh MBR, it says to do something very different.

"To fix the MBR of your hard disk, please ..

1. Start up the computer, [boot into Linux with appropriate recovery disk], or, alternatively , use the other recovery disk, then select Boot Corrector wizard.

On the first page, select Correct the Master Boot Record.

On next page select which disk to correct it on.

It really doesn't say what it does. It provides no options, like if you want to rewrite the MBR with standard code or restore the MBR that actually works on your machine, that you previously backed up.

Ditto with correcting boot configuration data.

Not until it gets to restoring the hard disk does it ask you want to restore something you previously backed up.

So what exactly happens when you Correct the Master Boot Record?

Do you still have to restore the master boot record?

If so why doesn't it trouble to say so?

And how do you actually restore your backed up master boot record? Paragon does let you save it. I've saved it, and separately saved the entire first sector, which contains it.

Yours,
Dora

 

Chinese? It is a German registered company. The development team are based in Moscow.

Perhaps this will help.

The mbr consists essentially of two parts.

1.The mbr executable code - ( better described as disk code )

2.The partition table.

(Recent windows o/s also contain some code concerned with bitlocker encryption.)

The executable code examines the partition table to find which is marked Active, then hands control to the bootsector code on Active partition.

Standard mbr executable code does that perfectly well - you should be able to boot any o/s using it.

The mbr is located at the beginning of the drive. It is not inside a partition.

It is not likely to get damaged - but it is not impossible.

Programs ( such as Paragon ) can rewrite the executable code if there is any damage.

Rewriting the executable code leaves the partition table as it was.




If you prefer, you can back it up - you may want to do that particularly if you are using a non standard mbr - normally not something the average user would do.

If you wish to restore a backed up version - then you use the restore wizard.

Nothing to worry about.