Removing Ubuntu

[htid]

I have Ubuntu on a dual boot PC with XP. I've had it for about a year with no problems, and always just chose XP when the list comes up asking me, but about 2 days ago I turned on the computer and got:

"GRUB Loading Stage1.5

GRUB Loading, please wait

Error 18"

I tried to restart and got error 17, then next time 16, then next time 15, and now it randomly gives me one of these 4 errors. Other times I just get something like a linux command line asking me to type "bash like commands". I have no idea about any of this, I just want to get rid of bloody Ubuntu but I don't know how. I can't even get past these errors 9 times out of 10 and it's just a case of restarting over and over until it works, and even then I sometimes get to the selection page and select XP, I get another error, something about too little space in the cylinders!

I can't even remember what I did to install Ubuntu, but reading around it says something about using the LiveCD or Windows boot CD. I have no clue what a LiveCD is, but do have my Windows XP CD. Assuming I can get it to boot from the CD (which I haven't yet managed), I read on a linux forum that I then have to change the master boot record, delete the Linux partiton and then use something like partitionmagic to change the partition. None of this means anything to me, so could someone maybe just give me a step by step guide as to what to do, as I haven't a clue. Right now I've managed to get into XP, but it's not recognising that my graphics card is installed, no idea why

Thanks a lot for any help.

[aidanjt]

To make it dead simple, just reinstall Windows XP, and delete all the partitions when Windows asks you where you want to install it to.

[directhex]

To make it dead simple, just reinstall Windows XP, and delete all the partitions when Windows asks you where you want to install it to.

Don't even need a reinstall.

Get into the XP recovery console by booting the XP install CD & hitting R at the right moment, type "fixboot" and "fixmbr", and reboot.

[aidanjt]

That might work around his broken grub installation, but it wont fix his underutilised disk issue.

[peterb]

Depends if he wants to go through all the faff of reloading and reconfiguring all his apps. Use fixmbgr etc, and then use gparted to resize the existing partitions. (Or reformat the old ubuntu partitions as NTFS.)

[htid]

So it seems there are conflicting opinions here! Peterb, even if I did use fixmbgr, I don't know how to use gparted to resize the partitions, or even what to resize them to...

[Zsev]

Use the fixmbr method, it only takes a minute. That will get you up and booting windows in a jiffy. You can remove ubuntu with gparted or any other free disk partitioning software later on which will also be a breeze to do. Resizing is just a matter of merging deleted partitions into your windows partition or any other partition. Make sure you delete off the correct Ubuntu partitions though (usually ext3, ext4, swap) .

[htid]

Not had chance to look at this over the Christmas period, but I've just tried what was suggested and after typing fixmbr, I get this:

***CAUTION***

This computer appears to have a non-standard or invalid master boot record.

FIXMBR may damage your partition tables if you proceed

This could cause all the partitions on the current hard disk to become inaccessible.

If you are not having problems accessing your hard drive, do not continue.

Are you sure you want to continue?

Just want to make sure this will be OK before I go ahead and ruin my computer by doing the wrong thing!

[directhex]

Not had chance to look at this over the Christmas period, but I've just tried what was suggested and after typing fixmbr, I get this:

***CAUTION***

This computer appears to have a non-standard or invalid master boot record.

FIXMBR may damage your partition tables if you proceed

This could cause all the partitions on the current hard disk to become inaccessible.

If you are not having problems accessing your hard drive, do not continue.

Are you sure you want to continue?

Just want to make sure this will be OK before I go ahead and ruin my computer by doing the wrong thing!

It should be okay. Looks like it's moaning about GRUB being where it expects NTLDR. Try doing FIXBOOT before FIXMBR, it might moan less

[htid]

It should be okay. Looks like it's moaning about GRUB being where it expects NTLDR. Try doing FIXBOOT before FIXMBR, it might moan less

That's actually what I did...hope it doesn't mess everything up then!