Install boot loaders to MBR of a disk/drive from within Windows/DOS

This tutorial explains the steps to install Syslinux and GRUB to the MBR of a drive to make it bootable.

Syslinux

Steps:
1. Extract the contents of syslinux to a folder
2. Open command prompt and navigate to the syslinux folder
3. Run "syslinux -sfma X:" [where "X" is the drive letter as seen in Disk Manager]
-s = Safe, slow, stupid; uses simpler code that boots better
-f = Force installing
-m = Mbr; install a bootable MBR sector to the beginning of the drive
-a = Active; marks the partition used active (=bootable)

Download: Link
Faq: Link

grub4dos

Download stable version (grub4dos, grubinst, wingrub): Link
Download latest version (grub4dos): Link1 Link2
Download latest version (grubinst): Link
Faq: Link

Commandline
grubinst (FreeBSD, Windows NT family OSs (Windows NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista) and Linux)
Steps:
1. Extract the contents of grubinst to a folder
2. Open command prompt and navigate to the grubinst folder
3. Run "grubinst (hdX)" [where "X" is the disk number as seen in Disk Manager]

bootlace.com (DOS, Pre Windows NT family OSs (Windows 95/98/Me) and Linux)
Steps:
1. Extract the contents of grub4dos to a folder
2. Navigate to the grub4dos folder
3. Run "bootlace.com 0x8Y" [where "0x8Y" is the BIOS drive number(hex 0xHH or decimal DDD), and where "Y" is the disk number as seen in Disk Manager]. It is 0 for the first floppy, 1 for the second floppy; 0x80 for the first hard drive, 0x81 for the second hard drive, etc.

GUI
grubinst GUI (Windows NT family OSs (Windows NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista))
Steps:
1. Run grubinstGUI.exe
2. Select the drive you want to install grub
3. Leave everything as default
3. Click OK

Install gfx enabled grub4dos to the MBR of a drive
Steps:
1. Download grub-gfx from Here or Here
2. Install grub4dos either using grubinst, grubinst GUI or bootlace.com
3. Delete grldr that was present by default in the drive
4. Copy & paste grldr from the downloaded grub-gfx to the root of the drive
5. Copy & paste menu.lst to the root of the drive
6. Boot

You could also try grub2
Download: Link
Faq: Link