Ubuntu

now its broke again

Asked by swinfi2

now i just want to remove ubuntu (which is unuseable) and grub, im on windows xp sp2 now and i want to go back to that only cause i can fix that easier, and i have to remove grub before i can wipe the partition ubuntu is on because grub needs the ubuntu partition and i will be back at the begining on a slow as hell live disk if i break grub (again)

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Connor Imes
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Connor Imes (ckimes) said : 		#1

After making sure you don't need anything from it, you can delete your Ubuntu partition(s) and swap using either the Ubuntu LiveCD or the GParted LiveCD - http://gparted-livecd.tuxfamily.org/
Of course, this means that GRUB is gone, but still in the MBR. This can be fixed by booting from your Windows disc and entering the recovery console, where you run "fixmbr". This will restore windows and kick out the remaining GRUB stuff. Alternatively you can do this from the Super Grub Disk - http://www.supergrubdisk.org/

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swinfi2 (swinfi2) said : 		#2

if i do the fixmbr one will that reinstall windows

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Connor Imes (ckimes) said : 		#3

fixmbr won't reinstall windows, it just writes the windows bootloader to the mbr (this is assuming you have a dual boot setup). If your computer just had Ubuntu on it and you need to reinstall Windows completely, then you don't need to worry about any of this - just do the windows install and have it delete all existing partitions. Windows automatically writes its bootloader to the MBR, so if you reinstall windows you will not have GRUB or Ubuntu there anymore.

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swinfi2 (swinfi2) said : 		#4

yeah i have dual boot now do find the windows disk...

thanks connor lmes

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swinfi2 (swinfi2) said : 		#5

Thanks Connor Imes, that solved my question.

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swinfi2 (swinfi2) said : 		#6

um i dont have a windows disk

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Best Connor Imes (ckimes) said : 		#7

OK, so you have a dual boot...

/obligatory warning/
First, boot into windows and backup any important data, music, videos, photos, etc. to an external hard drive or cd-r/dvd/-r, just in case you screw up the following procedure (or for some reason it fails, which isn't likely, but possible nonetheless). You should always do this before fiddling with partitions.
/end obligatory warning/

I suggest using the GParted LIveCD [1] to delete the root and swap (filesystem types ext3 and swap) partitions that were created for Ubuntu. You can do the same with the Ubuntu LiveCD if you prefer, but you will need to remember to unmount the swap partition before attempting to delete it. You have to use CDs for this process since you cannot delete partitions that are mounted (so like, when you are in Ubuntu, you can't delete the root partition - that is where the LiveCD comes in).
After the partitions are deleted, you can grow your NTFS partition that has windows on it so that it takes up the full hard drive again.
Now you need to get the Super Grub Disk [2] which you can also use to restore windows to the mbr.
I would recommend asking your computer manufacturer to send you a Windows XP disc, it's always good to have one around.

[1] http://gparted-livecd.tuxfamily.org/
[2] http://www.supergrubdisk.org/

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swinfi2 (swinfi2) said : 		#8

Thanks Connor Imes, that solved my question.

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swinfi2 (swinfi2) said : 		#9

thanks so mutch ubuntu is good but i am used to windows xp so i find it easier to fix so im gonna stay with just xp because programs for ubuntu are avalable in xp and and a note for grub is that its a pain in the ass to remove untill you get the super grub disk then its easy enough if you can read what its telling you and dont have the memory of a goldfish because it 1am