How to safely remove Ubuntu from a dual boot Windows and Ubuntu PC. Diet for the penguin: cleaning a freshly installed Ubuntu from junk How to remove the installed version of ubuntu from your computer

Ubuntu is a free operating system that runs on the Debian GNU/Linux platform. Unfortunately, not every user will decide to switch to this OS, since working in it is radically different from working in Windows: in this case, it is advisable to completely remove Ubuntu from the computer. The uninstallation method will depend on whether Ubuntu is the only system installed on the PC, or whether the computer also has Windows. Let's consider both options.

Ubuntu + Windows

If Windows is installed on your computer, then you can remove Ubuntu without uninstalling Windows. The first step is to restore the Windows bootloader: this operation necessary, because otherwise the computer will not be able to turn on.

To restore the bootloader you need to do the following:

Insert a DVD with Windows installed on a computer next to Ubuntu, or use a bootable USB flash drive - it all depends on which installation method the particular user preferred.
Restart the computer while holding down the “Shift” key - immediately after turning it on, you will need to hold down a key combination unique to a specific BIOS. So, there are 3 types of BIOS: Award, AMI and UEFI. For the first type you need to press “Delete”, for AMI – “F2” or “F10”. On some laptops there may be options such as “F1”, “F3”, “Esc”, as well as the combinations Ctrl + Alt + Ins or + Ctrl + Alt + Esc. The main thing is to have time to hold down the desired key before Setup occurs.
The BIOS settings will appear on the monitor. You need to go to the “Boot” tab - click 3 or 4 times, depending on BIOS version, right arrow on your keyboard. After the “Boot” section is highlighted, press “Enter”.
In the “Boot Settings” menu, select the “Boot Device Priority” option and click on “Enter”.
As the first parameter “1st Boot Device” specify USB or CD/DVD depending on the type of removable media with the operating system Windows system. To do this, highlight “1st Boot Device” with the arrow, click “Enter” - select the “USB” or “CD/DVD” option in the menu that opens. Press "Enter".
Use the arrow to move to the last tab of the top BIOS toolbar – “Exit”, tap “Enter”. Select the top item in the list in “Exit Options”, i.e. “Exit and Save Changes”. Confirm your action by pressing “Enter”.
The computer will reboot and the blue screen with the Windows installer window. You should set the language, date and time display formats, and keyboard layout. After setting up three system parameters, you need to click on “Next”.
In the next dialog box, click on the link in the lower left corner - “Recovery”.
The “Select Action” menu will appear on the screen - go to the second section “Diagnostics” to return the PC to its original state.
In the window that opens, tap on “Advanced options”.
Select the top element of the right column - “Command Line”.
Now all that remains is to restore the required bootloader. You will need to enter the code “bootrec /FixMbr” without quotes and press “Enter”, then enter the passphrase “bootrec /FixBoot” and press Enter. As a result of this manipulation Grub bootloader will be removed, and Windows will be used as the main system boot tool.
Close the CMD window. In “Select an action”, click on the first option “Continue”. The computer will boot into the familiar OS.

Now you can completely remove Ubuntu and clean up space on the HDD. To do this you need to follow the instructions:

Note! After the user clicks "Yes", the disk will be fully formatted. This means that all information stored on it will be permanently deleted.

As a result of these manipulations, unallocated disk space will appear in the Disk Management window, which has not been assigned a name. The user is recommended to use it for its intended purpose, that is, to create a volume. For this:

Uninstalling Ubuntu installed as the only OS

To remove Ubuntu from your computer and return to Windows, you will need:

Install the WoeUSB program through the terminal or Software Manager.
In the terminal you will need to enter the command “sudo apt-get install woeusb”.
Download the Windows image from Deluge (you can download the torrent client through the manager or terminal).
Go to “WoeUSB” and create a bootable USB flash drive with Windows through this utility: specify Windows iso in the “From a disk image” section, select in the “Target device” field removable media– DataTravaler. If an error like “256” appears on the screen, insert another flash larger than 4 GB. Wait for the creation process to complete bootable flash drive.

Posted 10/16/2019

Your question:

How to delete Linux Ubuntu from a PC, leaving the Windows system?

Master's answer:

Often, having installed a second operating system on top of Windows, for example, Ubuntu, the user decides that the second one needs to be removed, since most often in order to perform all the usual actions on personal computer quite enough Windows systems, and Linux Ubuntu requires too many settings from the owner.

If the user wants to remove Ubuntu, he needs to format the partition hard drive on which the system is installed. To do this, set the user's computer to boot from the drive in the BIOS or by selecting it when turning it on using the Esc key.

In the installation menu operating system from Microsoft, you must accept the terms of the agreement, then click the “Next” button, specify the partition for installation that contains the previously installed Ubuntu operating system, it must be formatted (preferably in the format file system NTFS).

After which, following the installation instructions, you need to follow the instructions for installing Windows, enter all the data to continue working, select the time zone and set the system user.

If you need to delete Ubuntu system Without first formatting the hard drive on which the system is installed in order to preserve the integrity of Windows XP, you need to perform an operation to restore the operating system to the previous installation of the said version of Linux.

Next, boot from the installation CD Windows disk. When the installation menu starts, you need to press the R key. The user will see a recovery console - it will indicate to the user the current operating system that needs to be returned to the state prior to the installation of the Ubuntu system.

After which you need to enter the system administrator password, if it has not been set previously. It is worth paying attention to the fact that if the password contains Cyrillic letters, then it is best to first change it to another one that contains exclusively numbers and characters of the Latin alphabet.
Then enter the commands fixmbr, fixboot in the window that opens. Having completed them one by one, you need to restart your computer - after this, Ubuntu should be completely removed.

If the user has a pre-installed system Windows Vista, you need to boot your computer with installation disk. Choose desired language operating system and use “Continue”.

Then select “System Restore”. When the system detects what is installed on your computer copy of Windows, you need to click “Next”. The user will see “System Recovery Options” on the screen, where you need to select the “Command Prompt” element.
There, enter the line of the sequence of actions bootrec /fixboot bootrec /fixmbr, performing them one by one, after which you need to complete the operating system recovery procedure and restart the computer.

It is important to remember that in all cases, it is best to first save a copy of the necessary files for working on removable media.

How can this be done safely without losing data on Ubuntu or Windows?

You have installed Ubuntu side by side with Windows in dual boot mode on your PC. But, for some reason, it didn't work very well. You may have encountered some bugs, or maybe you just weren't ready to switch to Linux from Windows.

Now you have a problem like Linux partition on your PC hard drive, it is taking up the space you need for files and Windows folders(or for your next attempt at dual booting with Linux).

In short, you need to remove Ubuntu from your PC. How can this be done safely without losing data on Ubuntu or Windows?

What is dual boot Linux?

In short, dual boot is the process of installing two operating systems on different partitions of your hard drive. It can be useful when migrating from one operating system to another (for example, from Windows to Linux).

While virtual machine- A way to run multiple operating systems on one PC, dual booting is more flexible. Both options have their strengths and weaknesses.

Keep in mind that you may go beyond dual booting. For example, if you also install macOS on your device, your system will become multiboot. The same applies to several versions of Windows and Linux.

Preparation: make a backup!

It doesn't matter how long you've been using Linux. In any case, there will be a couple of files that you will want to save. The solution, of course, is to make a backup for them.

How can I make a backup on a Linux partition? The first way is to use a standard tool Reserve copy, which are available in Ubuntu. Other Linux-based operating systems also come with backup utilities. You can find other similar utilities by installing them using your distribution's package manager.

You may also want to choose a simpler solution. By installing the Dropbox client on your operating system Linux system, you can sync data with cloud storage, and that will be enough.

You can even use file manager Linux to copy and paste your personal files into Windows partition. Make sure you save the data in a folder that is easy to find, with a clearly marked folder name for ease of discovery.

In case something goes wrong and you cannot boot Linux and restore your data, you can use this Windows utility like DiskInternals Linux Reader to read system files ext2 or ext3 and recover your files.

Uninstall Ubuntu: Removing Linux Partition

Once you are sure that you have successfully saved the data that you would like to remove from the Ubuntu partition, simply delete the partition.

Really, it's that simple. Boot Windows and open the Computer Management console. You will need administrator rights, so if your account is the main one, then everything is fine. If not, you will have to make changes to your account or log in through the administrator.

Next, right-click on the button Start and select Disk Management. And you will see a list of your partitions. You will need to find the Linux partition; You can also check using the DiskInternals program.

You also need to know the size of the disk partition and make sure it matches the amount of space on the disk where you installed Ubuntu.

Avoid deleting the partitions you need!

Once you are sure that it is time to delete the Ubuntu partition, right-click on the partition and select Delete Volume.

This simple step will effectively remove Ubuntu from your PC. The GRUB 2.0 boot loader will also disappear, that is, the operating system selection window will no longer appear.

So this means that there is no longer a way to boot the remaining operating system.

How to recover MRB (Master Boot Record)

To get around this, you need to restore the Master Boot Record, or MRB. Here you have a choice:

Use Window to restore MRB.
Use a third-party tool such as Hiren's Boot CD. This option is best if you are not using Windows 10.

And we will focus on the option with Windows 10 for restoring MRB.

Start by downloading the Windows 10 installation files. This is legal if you have a licensed version of the OS. Use them to create a bootable USB flash drive or DVD.

Then insert the disk or flash drive, restart your computer, click the desired button to enter the BIOS to change settings. (Which button will depend on your computer manufacturer). The goal is to ensure that the computer will boot from the Windows 10 installation disc.

Restart your computer to boot from the installation disk and select Restore Your Computer. Next, select Troubleshooting>Advanced Options>Command Line. Next we will use the tool Bootrec.exe using the fixmbr command

First enter:

Bootrec/fixmbr

Bootrec /fixboot

FixBoot is used when a remote boot entry has been deleted.

At this point you can end with the command:

Bootrec/scanos

She scans HDD for a suitable operating system. If you are running Windows 10 alongside another version of Windows, you will discover it at this stage. If you have problems at this point, enter:

Bootrec /rebuildbcd

And for now this will be enough. But if Windows doesn't boot when you leave the mode command line and restart the computer (remember that you need to change in BIOS settings boot order to the hard drive), then you have problems.

You can solve them reinstalling Windows 10, but try restoring the partition first. It is on your hard drive and occupies part of the Windows 10 system, and is intended specifically for restoring your PC.

Reuse the free space you have

Now you have a lot more free space. But to use it again, you will need to partition the hard drive and format it.

If you are not familiar with these processes, simply launch Disk Management as described above. Select a free space, right-click and select New Volume...the one that suits your needs.

Another way is to right-click on the volume next to the free space, select Expand Volume to increase the partition size. This video may help:

So, the free space is now returned to Windows and can be assigned a new letter. Moreover, no matter what you are going to store there: personal data, games, videos or anything else. Everything is back to normal!

Still need to boot Linux from time to time? Why not install Linux inside Windows using the Windows Subsystem for Linux Programs in the Store Microsoft Store? Or take a look at how to disable the UEFI Secure Boot Protocol for a dual boot system.

Linux is first and foremost a free system, it is open source, completely free and developed by millions of programmers around the world. But if you don't like it and would prefer to choose Windows. This is your choice. Let's say you installed Ubuntu, tried it, didn't like it, and now want to uninstall it.

In this article, we will look at how to uninstall Ubuntu using Windows. We will consider the option when you dual boot Windows and Linux. If you only have Ubuntu, then there is nothing to say, just format the partitions and install Windows. Now let's move on to the instructions.

How to remove Ubuntu 16.04 from Windows

You can remove the system through Ubuntu itself, but you will still need Windows to restore the bootloader, so it's better to do everything on one system at once. Next, we’ll look at how to remove Ubuntu from Windows. Many users advise first formatting the Ubuntu partition, but we always have time to do this. First you need to restore Windows boot loader so as not to end up in unpleasant situation- neither Ubuntu nor Windows boots. To successfully complete the process, follow all the steps below:

Step 1: Running the image

To remove Ubuntu and restore the Windows bootloader you will need boot disk with your operating system installed. For example, I have Windows 10. Insert it into the CD-ROM and restart the computer. In BIOS, select boot from disk:

After the disc boots, leave the language as default and click "Further":

And in the next wizard window, select "Windows Recovery":

Step 2: Command Line

On the next screen, select "Diagnostics":

Then "Extra options":

And then "Command line":

Step 3. Bootloader recovery

To restore the original Windows bootloader you will need to run two commands, first run:

> bootrec /FixMbr

> bootrec /FixBoot

The first command removes the Grub boot loader from the MBR and restores it to its default state. The second installs the Windows bootloader there.

After that, click the cross to close the console. On the screen that appears, select "Continue":

Step 5: Disk Management

When the system boots, it will no longer ask you to select an OS. Now all you have to do is delete the Ubuntu partitions. Right click on the icon This computer and select "Control":

Then go to the tab "Disk Management":

Step 6: Ubuntu Partitions

You probably know where your Ubuntu partitions are. You created them here. Typically, these are several sections:

Bootloader section - 100-300 MB;
Swap partition - 2-8 GB;
Root partition - 20-30 GB;
Home section.

Now all this needs to be removed. Repeat the operation for each of the Ubuntu partitions. Right click on it and select Delete volume:

Then confirm the deletion:

Step 7: Create a volume

To be able to use the freed up space in Windows, after the removal of Ubuntu is completed, you need to create a new volume. To do this, click on free space and select "Create Simple Volume":

Then you need to go through the simple volume creation wizard. Leave the size as default:

Select a letter for the new drive:

Then formatting to NTFS:

You now have more file space that was occupied by Ubuntu:

As you can see, how to remove ubuntu without removing windows is very simple.

How to uninstall Ubuntu in UEFI

If you want to remove Ubuntu from a computer that uses UEFI, then working with the bootloader will be done a little differently. Only deleting partitions will proceed in exactly the same way.

To remove the bootloader, you will need the Bootice utility, which you can download from softpedia. In UEFI, multiple bootloaders are installed on one partition. This means that the Windows boot loader is not damaged, it’s just that Grub has a higher priority.

Launch the utility, go to the " tab UEFI" and press "Edit Boot Enteries". In the window that opens, you can completely remove the Ubuntu boot loader using the button Del and then all you have to do is delete the partitions.

conclusions

In this article, we looked at how to completely remove Ubuntu 16.04 or any other version from your computer without affecting Windows. As you can see, everything is quite simple. If you have any questions, ask in the comments!

It's not just Windows, even if most users think so. Linux distributions are also becoming increasingly popular, including a build called Ubuntu.

The secret of success lies in the free distribution of Linux programs and builds. Therefore, if you buy a computer with the OS preinstalled on a non-commercial basis, you will pay much less than for a Windows equivalent.

But not all users are eager to switch to Linux, and there are both opponents of such an upgrade and its supporters.

Briefly about Ubuntu. How to uninstall Ubuntu

The functionality of this assembly is sufficient to browse online sites, read mail, edit documents and perform other standard tasks. All this has long been common practice for users.

Despite seemingly the same capabilities as Windows, many do not want to rebuild and leave the familiar interface from Microsoft. Everyone is used to working in their native environment, but everyone has their own.

Therefore, when you want to work with DOS systems or install another build of Linux (not Ubuntu), sometimes you have to figure out how to remove Ubuntu from your computer.

I think that it would be natural for you and me to learn about this.

Uninstall Ubuntu. What is necessary:

Need to download working system.
Then archive all the most important data. It is advisable to do backup copy on separate media or to a partition that will not be affected by the Ubuntu removal process .
In a Linux environment, load the terminal and enter the following command: sudo gedit /boot/grub/grub.cfg. This will open the boot loader configuration file.
Edit the file so that the Ubuntu-related entries are removed.
Open your console Windows recovery. To remove an Ubuntu program , you should return Windows boot (if you are going to work in this environment) to default.
Entering the commands to start with fixmbr, then fixboot will help you with this. These tools will restore the master boot record and boot loader to default.
As a result, after restarting the PC, Windows will be loaded as the operating system to start.
can be started using the installation CD of the original copy of this operating system.
And then the question of how to remove Ubuntu is theoretically resolved. In fact, the working copy of this distribution has not disappeared anywhere. She remained where she was before. We simply changed the bootloader and rewrote the MBR - master boot code on the hard drive.

Ubuntu completely

To uninstall a Linux distribution - Ubuntu - It is enough to format the partition on which this system is installed. Formatting can be done in fat32, or better and more reliably in ntfs.

As a result, the partition with Linux data will be empty, and you can copy your personal information. You can also install one of Windows versions, but only if the main logical partition was formatted. Unlike Linux systems, which can be installed on any type of partition.

Re-partitioning the hard drive The same CD with the Windows distribution will help you do it. Start it as your primary boot device.

Before uninstalling Ubuntu, the installation wizard will load into memory necessary files. You will then be prompted to install Windows on the system partition, create one if you don’t have one, or format an existing one. To re-partition, use the last option.

Setting the boot order of devices in the BIOS

Enter the Bios setup utility using a preset key or key combination (contained in the instructions for system board). Find the boot device or order boot list or boot priority item.

Using the +/- or F5/F6 keys, set the first device in the list that contains the abbreviation CD-DVD. Insert the CD into the appropriate drive.

Save your settings. This is usually done via F10 or by selecting save personal setting or something similar. Restart your PC.