Ubuntu and Windows

[namarino]

Hey guys. I just build a new computer and I installed windows 7. I'm interested in farmiliarizing myself with Linux Ubuntu and it has an option to install Ubuntu alongside Windows. My question though is that if I decided to uninstall Ubuntu, would the Windows disk that I installed windows from be suitable to recover windows?

[WinNut]

You won't need a Windows disc if you uninstalled Ubuntu. I did this once.

 

If you decide to uninstall Ubuntu, you'd just go to Disk Management and destroy the Ubuntu partition and merge it back with Windows.

[GoodBytes]

You can start Ubuntu setup in Windows, and install it like any Windows software, or so, this is how it will appear, with an entry in Programs & Feature installed program list. The Ubuntu setup will configure your computer including Windows, for dual boot setup, and you'll be ready to go. If you don't want Ubuntu anymore, backup your stuff there, if anything, go back to Windows, and uninstall it like you do with any Windows programs.

It's pretty neat feature.

[Opcode]

If you just want to toy with Linux I would recommend installing it into a virtual environment to do so.

[f22luke]

If you just want to toy with Linux I would recommend installing it into a virtual environment to do so.

I second this.  It's so easy and you don't have to deal with Grub.  

[namarino]

If you just want to toy with Linux I would recommend installing it into a virtual environment to do so.

What exactly is a virtual environment? How would I do this? Does this just mean installing Ubuntu onto a flash drive and booting from it?? Thanks!

[Opcode]

What exactly is a virtual environment? How would I do this? Does this just mean installing Ubuntu onto a flash drive and booting from it?? Thanks!

VirtualBox or VMware.

[namarino]

Could I just boot off of a flash drive? What are the pros and cons of this?

[Lord Gaben]

You can start Ubuntu setup in Windows, and install it like any Windows software, or so, this is how it will appear, with an entry in Programs & Feature installed program list. The Ubuntu setup will configure your computer including Windows, for dual boot setup, and you'll be ready to go. If you don't want Ubuntu anymore, backup your stuff there, if anything, go back to Windows, and uninstall it like you do with any Windows programs.

It's pretty neat feature.

that installer did not acutally properly dual boot, wubi (its name) has been discontinued due to incompatiblities with UEFI, It was only meant for trying Ubuntu not using it as it was slower than a proper dual boot

[Lord Gaben]

You won't need a Windows disc if you uninstalled Ubuntu. I did this once.

 

If you decide to uninstall Ubuntu, you'd just go to Disk Management and destroy the Ubuntu partition and merge it back with Windows.

That does not method does not properly delete ubuntu, 

 

On BIOS machines:

 

That will leave your machine unbootable as you need to rewrite the Windows bootloader back to the MBR, otherwise you are left with a broken GRUB bootloader.

 

On UEFI machines:

 

The GRUB bootloader is still left in the EFI partition and the linux boot entry is left, you should delete the linux bootloader from the EFI partition, and delete the Linux boot entry.

 

On a BIOS machine to get rid of Ubuntu:

 

• reboot into windows delete ubuntu partitions through the Windows disk management
• boot into Windows recovery disc, choose to open a command prompt and type the following commands to rewrite the windows bootloader the the MBR

bootrec /fixmbr

bootrec /fixboot

 

 

On UEFI machines to get rid of Ubuntu:

 

• reboot into windows delete ubuntu partitions through the Windows disk management, take note of the partition layout and what number partition the EFI partition is and what number disk Ubuntu was on

NOTE: assuming this disks are not on a RAID, disk 1 = sda, disk 2 = sdb, etc... (Unless disk is IDE then it is hda instead of sda)

NOTE: assuming the partitions are on disk 1 partition 1 = sda1 partition 2 = sda2 etc...

• boot into Linux live USB, mount EFI partition of the disk Ubuntu was on and delete GRUB from the EFI system partition, by opening a terminal and typing the foll wing commands

in my case it is

 

sudo mkdir /mnt/efi

sudo mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/efi

sudo rm -r /mnt/efi/EFI/ubuntu

sudo umount /dev/sda2

 

• delete linux bootloader UEFI entry, you can do this through the UEFI sometimes, look through your UEFI under boot options for an option to delete boot entry, if found delete linux boot entry, if not reboot into linux live USB and make sure you have an internet connection in the live environment, open terminal and type the following.

NOTE: the "sudo bootmgr" command will list all you boot entries, make sure to take note of the linux boot entries number as this is needed, be careful, mess up could cause windows not to boot and major problems with the boot order

NOTE: substitute the number in this command for the number of the linux boot entry, "sudo efibootmgr -b 2 -B"

 

sudo apt-get install efibootmgr

sudo modprobe efivars

sudo efibootmgr -b 2 -B

 

 

Once this is done, you are finished there is no trace of ubuntu left on your system, hope this helps anyone wondering how to properly remve ubuntu from UEFI and BIOS based systems, make sure to read every step carefully otherwise you could damage bootloaders.