A problem when uninstalling Ubuntu

Hey all,

I installed Ubuntu on my laptop several months ago, and I now wish to remove it. It's on its own partition, with the other partition being taken up by Vista.

The problem is that now my boot-loader is a Linux one, and when I physically delete the partition with Ubuntu on it, no loader is present, so no OS boots upon turning the laptop on. I've tried using my Vista reinstall CD to reinstall the Windows bootloader, but the option to fix my OS doesn't appear for some reason, and the only way to get things working again is to reinstall Ubuntu.

Any suggestions? I'd like to try an avoid a complete wipe and reinstall of all OS's.

P.S. This may be more suited to the Unix forum, if so please move. Thanks.

Voodu Child

Put in your Vista CD, open the command prompt (should be in there in the options somewhere), and type
bootrec.exe /mixmbr
and press enter.

Soundman

Voodu Child wrote: »

Put in your Vista CD, open the command prompt (should be in there in the options somewhere), and type
bootrec.exe /mixmbr
and press enter.

By any chance do you mean:

bootrec.exe /fixmbr

???

Overheal

he would have meant /fixmbr as in Fix Master Boot Record.

Voodu Child

Soundman wrote: »

By any chance do you mean:

bootrec.exe /fixmbr

???

And i edited it and all and didn't spot that one

Apologies to the OP if he was furiously typing that into the command line to no avail :pac:

Thanks for the responses guys.

I'll try that now and let you know how it goes.

OK, I've tried what you've said, but to no avail.

I've deleted the Ubuntu partition, but now I get a "Grub loading error" or something like that. I've Vista x64 on a partition, and all of my files on another partition. When I put in my x64 install DVD, there is no "Repair your computer" option, nor is there any option for opening a cmd prompt. I've entered my old x86 install DVD, and there is a repair option, but it says that it won't work with my x64 install, and on that DVD there is no option to open a cmd prompt either... So, I'm stuck.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Voodu Child

-JammyDodger- wrote: »

I've Vista x64 on a partition, and all of my files on another partition. When I put in my x64 install DVD, there is no "Repair your computer" option, nor is there any option for opening a cmd prompt.

Are you sure? It's not on the main screen - you usually have to go into the installation options to find it, as though you were going to do a reinstall. On the 'Install Now' screen there is usually some other options towards the bottom - 'repair your computer' etc.

tman

Yeah, you have to boot from the Vista cd and then select your language options before it gets to the repair option (at the bottom of the next screen)

You can also try running

"bootrec.exe /fixboot" if the first one doesn't help

/edit
Just read the last post properly... The repair option should be there, unless you're trying to boot from some kind of restore disc

mp22

I just completed the reconfiguring of my master boot record and removing Grub. It was even more simple than posted here. You don't even need your Vista install disk. When Vista boots, there is an option (flashes quickly) to go straight to the Vista Recovery Console - no CD necessary. I am going off of memory but here are the steps to do this:

1. Select the Vista Recovery Console at normal Vista startup
2. Select the Windows installation drive - you need to enter by number (not by drive letter)
3. Enter your admin password. I didn't have one so I just hit enter.
4. After #3, you seemingly are just sitting on a C: pathway (assuming C: is where the Vista install resides). However, Vista is waiting for your next command! Enter fixmbr, and hit enter... done! I did receive a Windows style warning not to do this if you were not experiencing problems....
5. On restart my system booted straight to Vista.
found this on ubuntu forums

mp22

Thanks for the replies everyone.

mp22 wrote: »

I just completed the reconfiguring of my master boot record and removing Grub. It was even more simple than posted here. You don't even need your Vista install disk. When Vista boots, there is an option (flashes quickly) to go straight to the Vista Recovery Console - no CD necessary. I am going off of memory but here are the steps to do this:

1. Select the Vista Recovery Console at normal Vista startup
2. Select the Windows installation drive - you need to enter by number (not by drive letter)
3. Enter your admin password. I didn't have one so I just hit enter.
4. After #3, you seemingly are just sitting on a C: pathway (assuming C: is where the Vista install resides). However, Vista is waiting for your next command! Enter fixmbr, and hit enter... done! I did receive a Windows style warning not to do this if you were not experiencing problems....
5. On restart my system booted straight to Vista.
found this on ubuntu forums

You see, the manufacturer of your PC has just installed the Vista Recovery Console on to your HD, in my case it's not installed so I've to access it from my Vista DVD. Thanks for your reply.

OK, a bit of an update:

There is no repair option anywhere on my 64bit DVD, nor is there an option to enter cmd prompt. I've looked through it very thoroughly, and it doesn't exist. Oddly, when I put my 32bit DVD in, the repair option is there, but it just won't work on the 64bit OS.

Is there any third party software I could use to fix this? I've used a download to fix the same problem in XP, but I can't seem to find anything for Vista.

Any help? Thanks.

mp22

http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1
this might be what your after

mp22

mp22 wrote: »

http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1
this might be what your after

Unfortunately, you've to have that install on your OS to use it. That wouldn't work because I can't access my OS... Thanks anyway.

kierank01

This is a stopgap measure to get you up and running in vista again, and you may be able to fix the MBR from within the os.


download and burn the .iso from here
boot up, and you should be in a GRUB menu.

type c, to go into the shell, and issue the following commands:

rootnoverify (hd0,0) *
makeactive
chainloader +1
boot

this should boot the first (zeroth) partition of the of the first (zeroth) harddrive, which should be vista.

you might be able to issue 'bootrec.exe /fixmbr' at a windows command prompt then.

*these commands are from memory, I can verify them when I get home (I just used these commands to boot windows).

mp22

-JammyDodger- wrote: »

Unfortunately, you've to have that install on your OS to use it. That wouldn't work because I can't access my OS... Thanks anyway.

sorry just though of that when i went out.
http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vista_with_linux_vista_installed_first.htm
may be you need to reinstall ubuntu use that bit of software to sort out you boot loader then uninstall ubuntu again.Its a long way round but it might work

Thanks for everyone's help.

Nothing would work, so I just did a fresh reinstall. I didn't lose too much, as all of my files were on a seperate partition.

Thanks again.

KTRIC

Had the same problem myself and my near 10 years in IT didn't help. In the end I had to reinstall Windoze.

Only solution it seems.

Seems that way to me, too.

I have to say I don't like the way Ubuntu installs, I know I won't be installing it again, at least not on a system with another OS.

KTRIC

-JammyDodger- wrote: »

Seems that way to me, too.

I have to say I don't like the way Ubuntu installs, I know I won't be installing it again, at least not on a system with another OS.

Wouldn't bother with the Windows installer. The only way to keep it clean is to install it on a seperate HDD and swap the cables over to the windows one when you want to use it. Works for me and neither OS is aware of the other so nothing is changed.

kierank01

on the last or second last page of the ubuntu installation utility, there is an 'options' button (can't remember what it is called) that allows you to configure where grub get installed.

you can set it to install onto the root partition of the ubuntu installation, and then configure the windows loader to boot that partition, and then you can delete the linux partitions without affecting windows.