HP EliteBook 840 G5 GRUB MBR

[BamHI]

Hello HP Support Community,

I recently bought an HP EliteBook 840 G5 (region: Europe/Austria, language: German, edition: “u:book”) in the "FreeDOS" version and tried to install Linux Debian 9.5. By doing so, I accidently did not install GRUB in the same partition as I installed Linux (partition 3), but instead I installed GRUB directly into the Master Boot Record (MBR) of the SSD. I hoped that the machine was able to handle this but it turned out that this was not the case.

Therefore, I am now sitting here with an unbootable device with a broken MBR. Of course, I did not create a backup of the original MBR. According to the documentary of the HP Customer Support (https://support.hp.com/gb-en/document/c00476202) the "Windows Operating System Disc (OSD)" is able to solve that problem with the command "FIXMBR”.

Generally, that is a great advice, but in my particular case, I run into two other problems with this putative solution: The first is that the HP EliteBook 840 G5 does not have a DVD-Drive. The second issue is that since I have the "FreeDOS" version of the machine, I do not have the "Windows Operating System Disc (OSD)" or any other rescue disks by any means.

So, all of that brings me now down to the following question:

Could I get all the necessary files that I need to create a bootable USB-Drive from which I can repair and restore my MBR?

I would be immensely grateful for a helpful and situation-solving reply!

Best regards,

BamHI

[WAWood · Accepted solution]

@BamHI

HP only warranties their PCs for usage with the OS that comes preinstalled.  IF you replace that or add a different OS, then you assume full responsibility for maintaining that other OS -- as HP then provides  assistance only on Redhat and then only to commercial customers.
 
Your best bet for Linux support, since HP does not provide Linux drivers, is to contact the support forum for the Linux distro you are trying to install.
 
Folks there have experience using HP machines with Linux and know a lot about driver sources and installation issues.
 
Good Luck

[BamHI]

@WAWood

Your statement about HPs warranty might be true in general, but as I said I have the “u:book” edition in the "FreeDOS" version. In this particular case, HP also provides assistance. Additionally the "FreeDOS" version is intended for installation of further operating systems and regarding my actual issue there is no difference between Redhat and Debian because if one of those change the MBR then that chance is the same in both cases.

The MBR is not a driver and it is very HP and laptop model specific. Therefore, I need the MBR of the HP EliteBook 840 G5 which of course is something the Linux community cannot provide. Furthermore, HP provides an MBR rescue disk to all Windows users via the "Windows Operating System Disc (OSD)" which I do not have.

So that is the situation: HP clearly has the files that are necessary for me and I usually would have them if I had the windows version. Just because I have the FreeDOS version, I am now asking for files that should have been given to me in the first place. So this is not an issue of warranty or assistance but just asking for usually provided MBR rescue files.

So with that, I am still happy about an answer with a real solution.

[WAWood]

@BamHI

Sorry, I've only been here for a short while, so I'm not personally aware of anything that HP provides known  as an Operating System Disk (OSD).

I do know that with systems preinstalled with Win7 or prior, HP often provided a rescue CD in the package; but with systems preinstalled with Win8 or newer, that all changed and they only provided a Windows-based utility allowing you to create your own Recovery Disks, not OSDs.

HP does also provide Recovery Disks for purchase, but those are not OSD, but are intended to completely restore the PCs to their original factory states.

[BamHI]

@WAWood

Yes, I also know that HP often provides a rescue CD in the package but what I do not know is that that changed so that they now only provide a Windows-based utility. The fact that rescue CDs are history is news to me, so thank you for updating my knowledge there.

Besides that, in the meanwhile I actually posted my problem on the Debian User Forums and they, as expected, could not provide me any HP files. Regardless of that, they were able to offer me a very "linux-like" solution:

http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=138817

It turns out that this solution actually really worked, now my laptop boots just fine and in fact I am writing this on my HP EliteBook. So at the end you were actually right by pointing me to the Debain User Forums and I will mark that post as the accepted answer.

With that, thank you for your help!