Where's my GRUB?

You gave enough info, you could have also said I tried to repair XP after installing any linux distro...

Microsoft doesn't care that you have grub/lilo or any other bootloader installed and will simply remove it and install the windows bootloader. There are a few solutions to solve this problem.

The first is use the SuperGrub Boot Disk: http://www.supergrubdisk.org/

Another option, but a bit more difficult, is using a liveCD (I would say ubuntu or something, or maybe even fedora/redhat, but I haven't tried those). When you use a liveCD you have to follow the following steps:
(I assume everything below is done as root in a terminal)

1. mount your linux partition; for example: mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/sda2
2. Mount /dev, /proc and /sys to the correct directories of your original system
mount --bind /dev /mnt/sda2/dev
mount --bind /proc /mnt/sda2/proc
mount --bind /sys /mnt/sda2/sys

3. The next step is going back to your orginal machine.
chroot /mnt/sda2

Now everything you do, will be applied to the linux version on your sda2 device instead of on the CDROM.

4. Reinstall grub
grub-install

5. If you want to leave the chroot environment, you have to do the following steps:

umount /proc (Not 100% sure this is required)
CTRL+D (The keycombination)
umount /mnt/sda2/dev
umount /mnt/sda2/proc
umount /mnt/sda2/sys

That should reinstall the grub on your MBR. But the supergrubdisk is a lot quicker & easier :D

Hope this helps

THANKS micmast......I will try as you advised me to do and then I will reply back with the result.

============
AmbrNewlearner
============

You gave enough info, you could have also said I tried to repair XP after installing any linux distro...

Microsoft doesn't care that you have grub/lilo or any other bootloader installed and will simply remove it and install the windows bootloader. There are a few solutions to solve this problem.

The first is use the SuperGrub Boot Disk: http://www.supergrubdisk.org/

Another option, but a bit more difficult, is using a liveCD (I would say ubuntu or something, or maybe even fedora/redhat, but I haven't tried those). When you use a liveCD you have to follow the following steps:
(I assume everything below is done as root in a terminal)

1. mount your linux partition; for example: mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/sda2
2. Mount /dev, /proc and /sys to the correct directories of your original system
mount --bind /dev /mnt/sda2/dev
mount --bind /proc /mnt/sda2/proc
mount --bind /sys /mnt/sda2/sys

3. The next step is going back to your orginal machine.
chroot /mnt/sda2

Now everything you do, will be applied to the linux version on your sda2 device instead of on the CDROM.

4. Reinstall grub
grub-install

5. If you want to leave the chroot environment, you have to do the following steps:

umount /proc (Not 100% sure this is required)
CTRL+D (The keycombination)
umount /mnt/sda2/dev
umount /mnt/sda2/proc
umount /mnt/sda2/sys

That should reinstall the grub on your MBR. But the supergrubdisk is a lot quicker & easier :D

Hope this helps

Instead of going with supergrubdisk, I tried manual recovery of GRUB as you advised.
I booted into damn small linux live cd and then I did as you advised. Everything went fine till following command.
chroot /mnt/hdd2

When I executed above command, I got on to bash of my hdd2 partitions linux.
Then I entered following at the terminal--->
grub-install

But I get a error- "Format of install_device not recognised". I tried various combinations for install_device but couldnot find the appropriate one. So what should I do now.

THANKS for your help....

o sorry, I made a small error
it should be: grub-install /dev/<your harddrive>

That should install it.

o sorry, I made a small error
it should be: grub-install /dev/<your harddrive>

That should install it.

Hello,
I did as you advised but still GRUB doesnot comes up.......
_______________
grub-install /dev/hdd5

I have enclosed below a screenshot of terminal when I executed the commands at Damn Small Linux terminal. (point your mouse pointer over the image so that you can view the enlarged and original image).

It says- "installation finished-No errors reported". But my GRUB sill don't appear when I boot my PC i.e. IBM/Windows bootloader is still the defaullt bootloader.

What is wrong now.
THANKS for your help in advance.........

SUCCESS.......
problem solved. I made a mistake. I typed

grub-install /dev/hdd5
instead of

grub-install /dev/hdd.

THANKS for help...........