# removing ubuntu (linux) from a dual boot system



## b-rad-lee

i am running windows xp and ubuntu linux on my computer (dual boot) but i can't really get ubuntu to work properly. how would i uninstall it as well as the partition between linux and windows?


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## antea

how is your machine partitioned?


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## batty_professor

I would say the partitioning is typical for the size of drive. How it's actually partitioned isn't really an issue. I've never uninstalled Linux myself. Gosh, if I did that, I wouldn't be here. I have to ask, have you tried to resolve the issues with Ubuntu? Would you like perhaps to try a different flavor of Linux? I have tried Ubuntu, and there are things about it I didn't like, so I came back to Mandrake/Mandriva. You might also like Mandriva. and you don't need to re-partition your drive to do so. It can be installed as an "upgrade" which installs, but using the existing partitions. Would this choice appeal to you?


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## dragonember

seriously, don't give up on Linux. It is a little difficult at first, but once you start learning a whole new world opens up...a world without Windows lol. (can anyone else hear the angels singing?)

Anyway, um yea Ubuntu is a little...weird I dont' really like that distro. Have you tried SUSE 10.0 or Fedora Core 3,4, or 5? I've never gotten Mandrake to work, my computer freezes whenever I install it and try to boot. (not saying it isn't a viable option, just saying why I don't use it) go to: 

http://www.linuxiso.org 
or 
http://www.linuxlinks.com/Distributions/
or 
www.linux.org/dist/index.html 
or 
http://www.linuxbasis.com/distributions.html 

(the last one lists distros for people new to linux.)


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## child of wonder

*If you installed Windows first and Linux second, then you can use this method.*

Boot into Windows Recovery Console via your XP CD and run fixmbr to clear the master boot record (this is where Lilo or Grub is kept). Windows doesn't boot from the master boot record, it simply boots to the first active partition and loads boot.ini.

Once you do this and boot straight into Windows, simply right click My Computer, select Manage, go to Disk Management, and delete the Linux partitions. Then use those partititions for whatever you want or merge them back into your Windows partition with Acronis Disk Director or Partition Magic.


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## P1N3R

I did that after i rebooted windows to find an NTLDR error. I did a fixboot and it said 'cannot find system drive' or something similar. I also did a fixmbr, that worked, but i now have lost GRUB and Linux functionalities! Thinking about it, i could have used Linux to back it all up, but isnt hindsight wonderful! What can i do to rectify this, i cant afford to lose all my stuff.

Oh, and i would have gone sole linux, but i cant get my wireless net working in it !

Thanks,

P1N3R


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## Bartender

P1N3R said:


> I also did a fixmbr, that worked, but i now have lost GRUB and Linux functionalities! Thinking about it, i could have used Linux to back it all up, but isnt hindsight wonderful! What can i do to rectify this, i cant afford to lose all my stuff.


I thought that's what you wanted to do, was get rid of Linux. By asking Windows to "fix" the mbr, the master boot record was reset so that the PC now only sees the Windows installation at startup. Ubuntu's still there on your hard drive. At least it is if changing the MBR was all that you did. If you go to the Ubuntu Forums and do some searching, you'll find many posts regarding how to re-install grub so that the master boot record is tweaked again to allow booting into Ubuntu. 

I don't understand what you mean by losing your stuff. Windows is working, isn't it? Did you have important data in Ubuntu?


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## surferdude13

ok now im in the same situation. but i do not have the xp disc since it was factory installed


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## K-B

If you can find a copy of a Win9x/ME boot disk, that will work too. You just have to type fdisk /mbr at the DOS prompt instead of fixmbr.


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## klavn

First i`ve installed winXP on C Drive . Kept D For Data . Installed RedHat 5.0 Server Version (With Limited Functionalities as i do not hve installation Sr No) On E And Kept F as a swap drive as required for Installation. Each Drive Of 39.2 MB Now As Guided Above When I Boot From WinXp CD n try For Recovery Consol . it Gives Msg That Setup Can not find Any hard Drives Installed and prompts to quit further installation . So I`m unable to run "fixbmr" . Would any body guide me? I Want to uninstall Red hat as i do not use it and free my HDD For Other Use


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## Bartender

klavn -
get a friend to download gparted and burn a boot CD from the download. Pop the CD in the drive, check your BIOS to make sure the PC is set to boot from CD, then use gparted to wipe the data from Red Hat partition, then re-format it as ntfs.

Here's the link to gparted. You want the .iso download

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=115843&package_id=271779

That at least gets rid of Red Hat. I have no idea why XP CD doesn't see any drives. In gparted, see if the Windows partition is flagged as bootable.


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## klavn

Not working . The Boot Cd Loads CALDERA DOS and I can not run Gparted . How To Run It ?


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## Bartender

I got your PM.
It sounds like you got gparted running, but it only sees two of your drives? I've gotten a little confused now.

Also, why do you think you need a drive dedicated just to swap?

Please tell us what exactly gparted sees, and what you believe is on those disks. gparted should see the disk no matter what the file system. gparted should recoginze fat16 or fat32, ntfs, ext3, linuxswap, etc. formats.

Is it possible that the one HDD not being recognized by gparted is damaged or hooked up incorrectly? Is it PATA? Could the little jumper be installed wrong?


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## Hate UBUNTU

gparted does not work either. The start page gives far too many options-mostly undecipherable, select an option put in language, keyboard etc and in between the pages of gobbledegook the progam seems to want a another download or two. Really lost the will to live after that!!
In the end I had to back up my Windows programs and used "Killdisk" to get shot of Ubuntu ! NOT ACCEPTABLE!
There should be a warning that the damn thing is worse than a virus to remove.
Never again will I let any Open Source operating system get anywhere near a computer I own.


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## wmorri

Please don't bring up old threads! This thread is closed


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