Wednesday, June 10, 2009

How to Uninstall/Remove Linux from Dualboot system

Are you tired with Un-install/Remove Linux(RedHat,Fedora) or Ubuntu, or any other linux distribution from your dual boot system?

sometimes you will be getting serious trouble If you removed linux partition directly from you existing dual boot(windows+linux) system and your existing windows boot screen will past away.you will not be able to access any windows partition in normal condition.otherwise linux GRUB or LILO boot loaders will still remain although you entirely deleted linux partitions.

Why is that happened ?

1st Note :
when you installing linux distro with windows system(windows first installed).linux setup will ask you to put boot loader record on your MBR (Master Boot Record) or first sector of boot partition(that mean your VBR-volume boot record).you can decide which is suitable to put your boot loader record on.

Most people don't know what's the different between MBR and first sector of boot partition.

MBR is differ from first sector of boot partion(sometimes reffer as volume boot record).MBR acting on entire hard disk while VBR acting only for partition.each partition should have their own VBR but active partition will maintain the active VBR others are remaining as incative but not deleted.VBR using the same concept to record details as MBR using.

it is good to record/write down that where your boot loader record was put.it's for your feature needs.

2nd Note :
if you selected the place where is suitable to put your boot loader record. then Linux will modify your existing MBR or first sector of boot partition(VBR) for attaching GRUB or LILO boot loader with your existing NTRLD windows boot loader.then Linux will create a new boot loader record for booting process.

when you deleting the linux partition, your modified MRB will still remain as untouched that mean boot loader record on the MBR will have GRUB or LILO loaders.your original MBR that was there during the windows installation process will not be recovered.that is why you may see GRUB or LILO boot loaders during PC boot even if you deleted linux partions.but default windows NTLDR boot loader also still remain as untouched and hence you can still boot windows by selecting windows entry in GRUB or LILO boot loader.

this will happen since you selected MBR as a place for boot loader record(boot loader) during advance boot loader configuaration phase in linux installation.

Legend solution to this problem :

Insert an XP installation CD and enter setup mode. Choose the recovery option and boot to the DOS command line. Execute the command "FIXMBR" and reboot. The "FIXMBR" command re-initializes the MBR with NTLDR.
The GRUB or LILO(select Os) screen no longer appears and the PC boots straight into windows. The linux partitions appear in XP disk manager as
"unknown. Use Disk manager to reformat the linux partitions as NTFS and assign a drive letter.

But above solution is not safe and it's can't be expected as always working.since if you selected first sector of boot partition(VBR) for placing boot loader record then "FIXMBR" is not deal with VBR, that is the reason.

Latest solution to this problem :

The answer is simple tool it's BootIt NG from http://www.terabyteunlimited.com
you don't need to buy it just download from their link and it will be a zip file (bootitng.zip) and then extract it to proper location and go to the location where you extracted files.

Step 1. Double click on BOOTITNG.EXE file and this window will be appeared.












Step 2 . you must accept the license aggrement by typing "y" in prompt.next windows will ask you to create BootIt NG installation diskette/ISO image.












you must select either one of two option to create bootable floppy disk or bootable CD.if you select "Build a Bootable ISO image file for CD" option then it will create BOOTITNG.ISO file.you need to burn it to CD by using ISO burning software (such as Nero).both bootable floppy and CD contain the same program. after creating your bootable disk your can use it to boot your PC.

Step 3. Next you will restart your computer with the CD or floppy in the drive. Once you boot into the program you will be asked to install BootIt NG to your Hard disk.just click cancel to just run it on the CD or floppy.do not install it to your HDD.when you restarted PC this window will be appeared to you.
















It has more advance functions you must follow the every instruction in BootIt NG documentation pdf.

Step 4. then go to partition work icon in desktop just double click. it will get window like this.

Step 5. Click the Option buttion on the left side of the window to select to your primary hdd.
Select and delete every (Linux distro) partitions except your standard windows partition.

Now you should have a formatless/Unallocated partition that says free space after it.

Step 6. Next, you need to fix installed GRUB/LILO bootloader that is on your MBR.It will need to reset your MBR or else you can't boot up or GRUB will still remain as before.
Step 7. To do this select you Windows partition go to View MBR button and click on it in the left pannel. When in there select your windows partion and click Std MBR.

Std MBR is equivalent to fdisk/mbr which creates the small program to boot the active partition.

This will take GRUB off and set your MBR back to the way it was before. Click Apply and the changes will be made.

Step 8. Then eject your media and use the file menu at the top left corner to reboot. Your computer should restart normally into Windows.

My Advice
Before using BootIt NG on any system for the first time, back up all data on all hard drives. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

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