Need help Uninstall Ubuntu from dual boot Win 8/ Ubuntu 12.04

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Claymoresama

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May 3, 2013
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I installed Ubuntu 12.04 (I believe) as a dual boot on my win 8.1 dell inspiron 14r laptop. The laptop is a win 8.1 laptop and I have it in a dual boot configuration. I would like to revert the pc back to a win 8.1 pc only, but I'm afraid I might delete the wrong partitions. I have a screenshot but cannot for the life of me figure out how to upload it to Tom's Hardware. I think I have narrowed it down to which partitions are Windows and which are Linux. Also I have created a recovery media flash drive, but just to be safe I'll also create a dvd as well. My laptop has a 1 tb hard drive and I know it's primary partition is the OS partition which is the one with about a terabyte of storage. I allocated about 50 gb if I remember correctly, to Linux. I'm assuming that the EFI and System partitions whose storage spaces are 500 and 40 mb respectively are the ones that came with the laptop. I have an 8.14 gb recovery partition that I believe is the one for Windows 8.1. I also have two other primary partitions that I believe belong to Ubuntu linux because one is 48.09 gb and the other is 1.91gb.


So in conclusion, correct me if I'm wrong, but the 50gb that I gave to linux are as follows:

Primary Partition (48.09 gb)
Primary Partition (1.91 gb)
Recovery Partition (490 mb)

And Windows is:
EFI system partition: 500mb
OEM partition: 40mb
Recovery Partition 8.14gb
Primary Partition (OS) 872.24 gb


So to clear up linux all i need to do is delete the 3 partitions in the windows disk management and then use my recovery media to fix MBR correct?
 
Solution
stillblue
Yes, that's all. You can use any partitioning software to format the Ubuntu partitions, I suggested gparted just because there was a chance that you still had it handy.

Just out of curiosity, what didn't you like about Ubuntu? Also keep in mind 12.04 is 2 1/2 years old and not nearly as good as 14.04 and now 14.10 is available too. If you have a problem getting it to work right maybe we could help there. I manage a network of computers and they are all dual boot if for no other reason than it makes my life easier fixing windows. On my computers I use windows very, very rarely and then it's to fix someone else's windows.
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stillblue

stillblue

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Assuming that you still have ubuntu installed you can run gparted and any partition that says EXT4 or SWAP is linux.

If you still have your Ubuntu install disk even better, boot to that and run gparted. Now you can even reformat the partitions to FAT32 or NTFS as you wish. You can't do that with the already installed version because you can't erase a partition you are currently using.
That 490mb is where your boot media for windows is installed. Don't erase that.

And yes, you'll need your recovery media to restore the MBR to original. If you don't have it boot to windows and make it, instructions how available under help. You'll need a 16GB USB.
 
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Claymoresama

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May 3, 2013
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I don't have the Linux install disc, but I do have the OS still installed on my laptop. I could create a ubuntu dvd if that helps. So I need both the 490mb recovery and the 8.14gb recovery partitions correct? I have my 32gb san disk usb flash drive loaded up with the recovery material, but to be safe I'll also make a disc as well. So to clarify, it'd make my life a lot easier if I could run gparted off the ubuntu disc, if I can make one, right? If I use the disc I can just format the partitions there and I'm good to go, after returning MBR with the recovery media, right?

Also thanks for taking the time to help me.
 
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stillblue

stillblue

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Yes, that's all. You can use any partitioning software to format the Ubuntu partitions, I suggested gparted just because there was a chance that you still had it handy.

Just out of curiosity, what didn't you like about Ubuntu? Also keep in mind 12.04 is 2 1/2 years old and not nearly as good as 14.04 and now 14.10 is available too. If you have a problem getting it to work right maybe we could help there. I manage a network of computers and they are all dual boot if for no other reason than it makes my life easier fixing windows. On my computers I use windows very, very rarely and then it's to fix someone else's windows.
 
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Claymoresama

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May 3, 2013
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Sorry to confuse you but I actually went and looked up the iso file on my pc because I still kept a copy of it. I actually had 14.04 and I was confusing it with the 12.04 that I had used a few years ago. It's not that I don't like Linux it's just that I put it on my laptop and have barely used it at all. Also I feel like my pc is starting to slow down so I was thinking of just restoring it to factory settings and I feared that that'd cause problems with Linux being installed. I'm studying computer science and thought that Ubuntu might be kind of cool to have on here, but I don't see any point in keeping it at this point. I could use it in vmware or virtual box in the future if I really wanted to use it. I'm still deciding on whether or not I want to keep it. If I can find something that I could use, then I might just keep it, but when Windows 10 comes out I want to upgrade and I'm not sure how that'd all work out with this being a dual-booted computer and all. Any advice on how I can get the most out of Linux? Also as far as I can tell the Ubuntu OS works just fine on my laptop. The only drawback is that it's not compatible with my college's wifi so I have to keep Windows no matter what. Also I like to play video games so that's another reason why I can't just ditch Windows.
 
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stillblue

stillblue

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If you're doing a factory reset you don't need to do the gymnastics above.
If you have noticed a slowdown in your system it's because you've got too much running. Click run and then msconfig in windows and see what you are starting up automatically and get rid of the extra stuff.
I've not encountered an incompatible WIFI signal, hardware on the computer yes but not signal. What exactly leads you to believe that Linux is incompatible with your school's wifi? Skittle is the master of hardware here and can probably solve the problem.
If you are in CS then you'll find Linux has great IDEs. I do most of my work in PHP and gPHPEdit is great. gedit with the line numbering turned on is great for a simple editor. Universalindentgui also makes your code look good until you get the whole indent thing down. Eclipse, netbeans, geany for other languages.

I've been messing with win10 and it is better than win8 but I'll not be switching from Linux, I much prefer that I own my computer and not microsoft. "Please wait while updates are installed" by itself almost gets windows tossed off. What is so hard about "would you like to install updates now or are you in a hurry and we can do this later"? Linux is much more polite.
 
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skittle

skittle

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Dec 27, 2006
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If it is like my university we use PEAP/MSCHAPV2 authentication.
Just takes a few extra steps to set up then regular WPA WiFi

Our IT website doesn't have Linux/Ubuntu specific instructions but does have android,iOS,osx,windows listed. I just used the android PEAP instructions and modified them for use with my Linux installation.

Probably if you contact your IT department via email, phone or just visit the front desk, they can help you get connected.

I don't see the need for windows, especially for a CS student! I spend most of my time with MATLAB, R, Python... Windows just slow and dumb.
 
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