How to safely uninstall Ubuntu from dual boot Windows PC

You have installed Ubuntu on your PC to dual boot with Windows. But for some reason, you want to uninstall Ubuntu. Perhaps due to some errors, you don't feel ready to switch from Windows to Linux or the Linux partition on your PC hard drive takes up the space required for Windows files and folders.

In short, you need to uninstall Ubuntu from your PC. But how to do this safely without losing data from Ubuntu or Windows?

What is Dual boot Linux?

In short, dual boot or dual boot is the act of installing two operating systems into separate partitions on the hard drive. Dual boot is useful when moving from one operating system to another (for example, from Windows to Linux).

Dual boot is also valid if you use an operating system for certain tasks. (For example, you have a Linux PC at home but use Windows at work.)

Virtual machines are a way to 'enjoy' multiple operating systems on a PC, but are not as versatile as dual boot. Both options have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Refer to the article: Advantages and disadvantages of dual boot for more details.

Back up files!

It doesn't matter how long you've used Linux. But there are definitely files you want to keep. Therefore, it is necessary to back up data before uninstalling Ubuntu.

How to backup data on a Linux partition? You can use standard backup tools included in Ubuntu. Other Linux operating systems also have backup tools available. In addition, users can also find backup utilities installed from the distribution package manager.

You can also choose a simpler solution. Install Dropbox client on Linux operating system and synchronize data to the cloud. In addition, it is possible to use a portable USB.

You can even use the Linux file manager to copy and paste individual files from Linux into the Windows partition. Be sure to save the data in an easy-to-find location with a clear directory name.

If you see a problem and can't boot into Linux to recover the data, you can use a Windows tool like DiskInternals Linux Reader to read the ext2 or ext3 file system and recover the files.

Suppose we will delete the data from the hard drive. To ensure data safety, back up your recent personal data from the Windows partition.

Uninstall Ubuntu: Delete the Linux partition

After retrieving the data you want to keep from the Ubuntu partition, now just delete this partition and you're done.

Very simple. Boot into Windows and open Computer Management with admin rights. If not, you will need to make some changes to your account or log in as admin.

Next, right-click on the Start button and select Disk Management. Here, you will see your partitions listed. You need to specify the Linux partition. You can verify this by using the DiskInternals tool .

You should also be aware of the partition size and make sure that this size matches the size of the main storage device when running Ubuntu.

Avoid deleting any partitions you still need!

After making sure, delete the Ubuntu partition. Right-click on the partition and select Delete Volume.

This simple action will uninstall Ubuntu from the PC. The GRUB 2.0 bootloader will also disappear, which means there is no more operating system selection screen available. However, that also means there is no way to boot the remaining operating system.

How to recover MBR (Master Boot Record)

To solve this problem, you need to restore Master Boot Record or MBR. There are a few options here:

1. Use Windows to fix MBR.

2. Use a third-party tool, such as Hiren's CD Boot. This option is best if you are not using Windows 10.

Refer to the article: How to restore the Master Boot Record in Windows 10 for more details.

You now have an extra amount of free space. To use this space, need to partition and reformat it.

If you don't know how to do this, just run Disk Management as described above. Select an empty drive space, right-click and select the New Volume option . that suits your requirements.

Or, right-click the drive next to that free space, select Extend Volume to increase the size of the partition. After Windows 'recalls', this free space can be accessed via a new drive letter, ready to store any data on it (such as personal data, games). , videos, etc.). Everything is back to normal!

Hope you are succesful.