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I have a Windows 7/Ubuntu 11.10 dual-boot setup, where I am running the OSes on separate partitions on my laptop's HDD. I assume the best method of uninstalling is "simply" a matter of deleting the Ubuntu partitions once I've made sure control is given to the Windows bootloader instead of GRUB after POST.

The question is: How do I do that?

Things I've tried:

  • I tried the boot-repair CD, but that was a bit beyond my abilities to figure out if I could do it with that tool.

  • I also tried EasyBCD as suggested in this answer in How to set Windows bootloader as default bootloader?. It couldn't identify my ext3 partitions, let alone change the bootloader.

  • Lastly, I tried installing Startup Manager in Ubuntu, and using that to set the Windows 7 bootloader as default. But upon restart, it still loads GRUB.

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5 Answers 5

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  1. Set the hard drive that has the Windows/Ubuntu dual boot installed on it as the first boot option in the BIOS/UEFI.
  2. If it doesn't automatically boot to Windows, use a Windows recovery USB stick to restore the Windows bootloader. If you have an MBR (Legacy) installation:

    bootrec /fixmbr
    bootrec /fixboot
    bootrec /scanos
    bootrec /rebuildbcd
    

    For UEFI use How to repair the EFI bootloader on a GPT HDD for Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10.

  3. Delete your Linux partition using Windows Disk Management (right-click on your Start menu and select Disk Management).

  4. (optional) For EFI installation only, mount the EFI partition by following the instructions in How do I mount the EFI partition on Windows 8.1 so that it is readable and writeable? and delete the Ubuntu folder.

Source: Revised from this answer

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Step1

  1. Boot into Windows and right click on My Computer.
  2. Go to Manage > Disk Management.
  3. Delete the Ubuntu installed partition and space reserved for swap. (If you want to use the space in Windows, format it and create a new partition. Or you can do it later.)

Step2

  1. Reboot the computer.
  2. Go to BIOS.
  3. Set the boot media to CD/DVD
  4. Put the Windows 7 DVD (or recovery disk) into the drive.
  5. Boot from the DVD

Step3

  1. Start windows repair (if you use windows 7 DVD or if you are using recovery it will automatically show repairing option)
  2. Allow the utility to repair startup.
  3. If utility found a error and fixed it reboot the machine and enjoy!!

If it failed follow step 4

Step4

  1. Open command prompt in recovery mode.
  2. Type diskpart and hit enter
  3. Then type list disk and hit enter
  4. Then select your disk (you can find it by size) - use select disk x to select the disk. Replace x with the relevant number.
  5. Then type list part and hit enter.
  6. Then select primary disk with mb in size (not in gb) - use select part x to select the part. Hit enter.
  7. Then type active and hit enter.
  8. Close the command prompt and again run the startup recovery tool.

Enjoy!!!

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I think that you can use Windows Recovery Console from the CD to "fix" the bootloader, i. e. deleting grub and replacing it with Windows' bootloader.

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  • Ah, good idea! Why didn't I think of that >.< I'll try it when I get home.
    – MartinDK
    Feb 22, 2012 at 12:18
  • If the automatic "fix" from the CD/DVD's menu system doesn't work, try navigating to System Recovery - System Repair and use the command bootrec.exe /fixmbr. (This what I have used successfully for Vista. I imagine that Win 7 is the same.)
    – CentaurusA
    Feb 22, 2012 at 16:55
  • Ah, up and running again. Thanks for the help, guys.
    – MartinDK
    Feb 23, 2012 at 15:16
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Another simple way is to make a live USB with Ubuntu, select the Try Ubuntu without installing option, and run the following commands to remove the grub error and restore the Windows boot option:

sudo apt-get install lilo
sudo lilo -M /dev/sda mbr
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You need to go to the Disk Management in the windows and then erase the disk you installed ubuntu in

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  • I actually tried doing that before, and when i tried booting windows 7 it just showed a black screen with a "no such partition" text
    – yasuu
    Dec 21, 2022 at 14:27
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    You always have to make sure default boot loader is the one you want. If grub still default & you delete Ubuntu, you just get grub errors. If old BIOS/MBR install, you have to install Windows boot loader to MBR and make sure boot flag is on the Windows boot partition. If newer UEFI install, you can just boot Windows from UEFI boot menu. And change default there.
    – oldfred
    Dec 21, 2022 at 14:30
  • @yasuu I believe "oldfred" is right, you need to install the new bootloader. you can try using windows disk -> boot recovery Dec 21, 2022 at 15:55

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