Note to self

If you install linux on a windows machine on a seperate partition and then decide to just fromat it and blow it away to have more drive space for windows - you will render windows senseless because that master boot record will be hosed.

To fix this use your windows boot CD and run the fix master boot record command from the recovery console.

If you don't have a Windows boot CD because your IT deparment controls this, download and install knoppix (www.knoppix.net) - the excellent linux live cd distrubution and run this command from a shell:

sudo install-mbr /dev/hda

Hope I don't have to remember this trick.