[SOLVED] How do I remove Ubuntu Linux from my hardrive?

37speed · 04-06-2011, 09:16 PM

I recently partitioned an entire 500gb hardrive with ubuntu. It's a fantastic OS! Now I freakin want to take it off and repartition the hardrive to install Windows 7 and Ubuntu. I can't find anything to boot with that has the tools to repartition linuX! I bought W7 and can't freakin get it to install because it doesn't recognize the drive. I thought Linux would be user friendly, it's not! It works great, but it doesn't have a whole lot of automation that I'm so used to with windows. No wonder it hasn't gone mainstream. Go figure! NOW THE QUESTION IS: What program can I put on a cd rom and boot from with a partitioning tool for linux that I can delete the partitions and make it so I can install NTFS or any windows OS? I have tried formating and repartitioning from within Ubuntu but it won't allow me because the drive is busy. oh duh, you think! FREAKIN HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

MS3FGX · 04-06-2011, 09:22 PM

You obviously can't resize the partition the OS is actively running out of. You need to boot into a live CD that includes Parted. You can do this from the Ubuntu install disc itself.

beowulfnode · 04-06-2011, 11:27 PM

note that you need to use the desktop version ubuntu disk to arrive at a desktop when booting off the ubuntu install cd. Partitioning a drive would be tricky to do with the server disk as it is not a LiveCD anymore as far as I'm aware.

You should be able to go part way through the install of either ubuntu or windows to delete partitions and start again even if you don't go through with the install.

Sjonnie48 · 04-06-2011, 11:33 PM

First things must be done first!
If you want a dual boot system then first install Windows, then Linux.
Windows overwrites your MBR without taking the other OS into account.
Linux creates a MBR to boot to Linux or to Windows at your choice.
And it is recommended to determine how you want have your drive partitioned before installing anything.
Your question has nothing to do with user friendliness, but with knowledge. That's why you came to LQ!

37speed · 04-14-2011, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beowulfnode

note that you need to use the desktop version ubuntu disk to arrive at a desktop when booting off the ubuntu install cd. Partitioning a drive would be tricky to do with the server disk as it is not a LiveCD anymore as far as I'm aware.

You should be able to go part way through the install of either ubuntu or windows to delete partitions and start again even if you don't go through with the install.

Thanks alot, that really helped.

37speed · 04-14-2011, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sjonnie48

First things must be done first!
If you want a dual boot system then first install Windows, then Linux.
Windows overwrites your MBR without taking the other OS into account.
Linux creates a MBR to boot to Linux or to Windows at your choice.
And it is recommended to determine how you want have your drive partitioned before installing anything.
Your question has nothing to do with user friendliness, but with knowledge. That's why you came to LQ!

Great! I did that. I installed Windows 7 on the entire hard drive then installed Ubuntu. Ubuntu repartitioned the drive. If you partition it first then when you install ubuntu using the wizard to "install alongside windows", it only divides up the current partition Windows is installed on. It took a couple of installs to figure it out. Thanks for you help.

TobiSGD · 04-14-2011, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 37speed

I thought Linux would be user friendly, it's not! It works great, but it doesn't have a whole lot of automation that I'm so used to with windows. No wonder it hasn't gone mainstream.

For your own interest, please read this, it will make some things clearer for you.

widget · 04-14-2011, 12:35 PM

The link given by TobiSGD should read by all WinWhatever users when thinking of installing Linux. It is very good.

This is too;
http://www.ubuntupocketguide.com/index_main.html

Also if you want to have great tools for dealing with problems on your box download the LiveDVD. It has a rescue mode for your installed Ubuntu.

You may need it. I know that when I switched the power over my OS was too tempting after years with MS. I broke it several times the first week. My wife was not amused. She thinks an OS ought to be usable and Vista cured us of wanting to allow any MS product in the house so that was just deleted.

My solution for that was to install another instance of Ubuntu. If you have a spare 10-15Gb I would recommend that. You can test your "improvements" there before trying it on some install that really needs to work.

tommcd · 04-15-2011, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 37speed

I installed Windows 7 on the entire hard drive then installed Ubuntu. Ubuntu repartitioned the drive. If you partition it first then when you install ubuntu using the wizard to "install alongside windows", it only divides up the current partition Windows is installed on.

The easiest way to do this is to first install Windows to whatever size partition you want for Windows. Leave the rest of the drive unallocated.
Then install Ubuntu. Choose manual partitioning. Create 3 partitions for Ubuntu: root (where the OS lives), swap (this is analogous to virtual memory in Windows). The rest of the drive will be /home (where your data and user specific settings are stored).
This way if you ever reinstall Ubuntu all of your data is safe on a separate partition.
Root can be 10GB, or up to 20GB if you have the space.
Swap can be as little as 500MB-1GB if you have a lot of memory. If you plan to suspend to memory, then let swap be at least equal to the amount of physical memory you have.
The rest of the drive is /home.
See this site for some great dual booting tutorials: http://members.iinet.net/~herman546/