Uninstall Ubuntu

Well there are more questions. Please explain further.

You had two drives, that's clear.

- 1. variation

On first drive you had your windows data and your windows boot system. This means You had the 'Program Files' directory there, and 'Documents and Settings' and stuff. Then you have bought a second drive pushed in, installed ubuntu on it, and now can't boot your first drive.
In this case, you will be able to manage to get your windows back, don't worry. You don't even need to 'uninstall' ubuntu.

- 2. variation

You had your windows data on first drive and your windows boot system on second drive. This means you had on first drive only your data's and on second drive your 'Program Files' and stuff.
In this case, if you have chosen in the ubuntu installer, there were two choices. The one deleted the whole disk and reworked it for windows. This way you will not get your windows back, only if you freshly reinstall it. The other was something like "shrink the partition and use the rest for ubuntu". If you chosed this then your data's are there, but this way you should have a menu at boot time where you can choose which system to boot. Linux, or windows.

So you should remember these things. I propose to you, that the symptom you have written down is not very specific, and so there is no real chance to solve your problem, and so the most possible solution will be, a plain reinstall, which clear's your used programs, and such. Your data's, which you can see is likely to stay, but nothing else - using outlook and not saving emails can be a pain, as this way they can disappear. Also you will need some self-management. This case is one of 1000's, and so it's often simply ignored.

thanks for your quick reply. Variation is correct. The second drive is one I installed from my daughter's computer that crashed. I formatted it after installing in my machine, so I thought it would be interesting to learn Linux on it. I chose to install on that drive using entire drive with ALL of Windows XP, including the boot system, on the first drive. Forgive my ignorance, but I thought switching drives after installing Ubuntu would be as easy as clicking an Icon of some sort. I don't necessarily want to get rid of Ubuntu, just want the ability to use Windows as well. If it is merely a matter of reinstalling, would you mind giving me some pointers to use along the way? First drive, Windows, is 100GB and second drive is 80GB if that matters. Thanks.

I'm sorry. Variation #1 is what I used.

Well, I still don't understand. Notice use use the word 'install' four times, and you specify only once 'what', and once 'where'. Please tell it again, but more precise.

Ok, I will try to explain better. I have a 100GB drive that contains Windows XP, all files, folders, etc. including boot system. I also have a second 80GB drive which I used to install Ubuntu on by using that entire drive. The 80GB drive with Ubuntu now installed has no Windows os files whatsoever. My machine boots only into Ubuntu, with no option to boot into Windows, so I assume what is needed is some sort of dual boot between both my Ubuntu and Windows drives.
During the Ubuntu installation process from the Live CD, I see no option to set up a dual boot with two different drives. Do I need to use only my drive containing Windows to install Ubuntu on?

When in ubuntu can you open a terminal (Apps > Accessories), run these commands and paste the outputs here. When it asks for the password use the one you specified during install - it won't appear on screen - but it is there.

sudo fdisk -l ( - that is a lower case L)
cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

If you go to ubuntu forums and search for this problem there are hundreds of them :)

http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=73

Ok. forestpixie I did what you said,, this is the output, but I can't boot into windows. What am I doing wrong? Should I replace the 80GB drive boot info with the 100GB. info? Sorry I sound so ignorant, but I am.

Disk /dev/hda: 100.0 GB, 100030242816 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 12161 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xb357dec9

   Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 12161 97683201 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/hdb: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x98dbbeb6

   Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 * 1 9363 75208266 83 Linux
/dev/hdb2 9364 9729 2939895 5 Extended
/dev/hdb5 9364 9729 2939863+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Well. If you are ignorant, why shouldn't we? Is it important for you?

He asked these because these are data's to help on supporting you. This
was not a solution yet.

Solution comes after you post the result of

'cat /boot/grub/menu.lst'

too.

I typed in google : dual boot ubuntu windows "2 disk"

And the first site contained a whole discuss about this problem, and a
link where it was written down more in detail.

Now if you don't take it serious this much, how could you expect us, to
take you problem serious?

Solution:

open terminal like before. Type
sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst
and give your password as before. Now the file is opened for editing,
with a nice GUI editor. Watch out what you do now, as changes in these
files can make your ubuntu system unbootable.

So, first search the line
timeout 3
and change it to
timeout 20

Next seach for
hiddenmenu
and change it to
# hiddenmenu

Optionally you can search for
# color cyan/blue white/blue
and change it to
color cyan/blue white/blue
This makes things only look better.

Now go to the end of the file, and check if the line
title Ubuntu (...) kernel 2.6(...)
is followed by
root (hd0,0)
or
root (hd1,0)
because you will need to use the opposite in the next editing. Now
assume, you have found there (hd0,0), so you will need to use here
(hd1,0)

Type the following lines to the very end of this file:

title Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

Of course write (hd0,0) and not (hd1,0) if found other 'root ...' line
in the check written upper.

These changes if done properly will not ruin your ubuntu to boot, and so
you will be able to reboot and ask for help if windows still not
bootable.

Now you will get a menu at start, and there you can choose which system
to boot.

If something bad happens, then there is a solution to boot your windows
directy:

At boot time push f2 or 'del' button at first seconds of boot. You are
warned about when to do that at the bottom of the screen. You will get a
menu system. Search there for boot options. If you can't find it, then
search harder, it is there. There you can change some way which disk
should be booted at start. I think now this is set to your linux disk.
Change to the other disk,on which you have windows. This way you will
get back a working system, and ask for more help. This is only needed if
you really screewed something, but my post is very detailed, so there
should be no problem.

Under windows you can't see linux partitions, and linux data by default.
For that you need to download, install, and set up properly a program
called 'ext2 ifs for windows'. Google for it. Installation and setting
howto-s are there. If anything happens with your boot loader and you
manage to boot in windows, then you can use that 'pogram' to change
grub/menu.lst file as needed, re-set the bios to boot the linux drive,
and try to boot again ubuntu.

I suggest you to print this post for emergency case.

Best regards, Gábor.

2008. 04. 18, péntek keltezéssel 20.53-kor jim brown ezt írta:
> Question #30107 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/30107
>
> Status: Answered => Open
>
> jim brown is still having a problem:
> Ok. forestpixie I did what you said,, this is the output, but I can't
> boot into windows. What am I doing wrong? Should I replace the 80GB
> drive boot info with the 100GB. info? Sorry I sound so ignorant, but I
> am.
>
>
> Disk /dev/hda: 100.0 GB, 100030242816 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 12161 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0xb357dec9
>
> Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
> /dev/hda1 * 1 12161 97683201 7 HPFS/NTFS
>
> Disk /dev/hdb: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0x98dbbeb6
>
> Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
> /dev/hdb1 * 1 9363 75208266 83 Linux
> /dev/hdb2 9364 9729 2939895 5 Extended
> /dev/hdb5 9364 9729 2939863+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
>

Thanks Gábor Náray, that solved my question.