Uninstalling Ubuntu

[Tony Arnold]

Alexander,

Alexander Duncan wrote:
> With great difficulty I finally found what appears to be more or less 
> official instructions on uninstalling the Ubuntu OS on 
> www.users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/p18.htm (why is this information not 
> posted on the official Ubuntu web site)? However, I do not understand 
> the reference to "choose the installation that you need to access from 
> the Recovery Console" on page 2 of the instruction on the Recovery 
> Console.

I think the screen should show a list of instances of Windows that the
recovery console has found on your hard disk at the top of the screen.
For most people there is probably only one (and for Linux geeks, none at
all!). The list should be numbered, so enter the number of the instance
you are interested in, probably a 1.

> Can anyone explain what is meant when referring to the 
> "installation" - apparently a valid installation number is required 
> according to the Recovery Console prompt, I don't know what this is - 
> and also, what are the criteria of "need to access"? Does one "need to 
> access" XP or Ubuntu itself (I assume that the OS is what is being 
> referred to).

The instructions on the WEB page you referenced is telling you how to
recover the MBR so the system boots into Windows. It probably needs to
know which instance of Windows you want to boot into.

> Alternatively, can anyone provide clear and explicit 
> instructions on how to remove Ubuntu from one's system and recombine its 
> partition with the primary partition on a Windows XP system?

I thought the page you referenced was fairly clear!

> I really think Ubuntu needs to pay as much attention to uninstalling 
> Ubuntu easily and cleanly as to installing it.

Most people, once they get to understand Ubuntu a little never want to
go back!

> P.S. Please cc. sethian at sympatico.ca as I am receiving a daily digest 
> only and would like to obtain this information asap. I have been trying 
> to get answers to these questions for over a week. Ubuntu does not 
> appear to have a direct telephone number or email address for technical 
> support.

Actually, you could call Microsoft for this one, I'm sure they would be
delighted to help you for a large fee:-) Last time a friend of mine rang
them they wanted £250 with no guarantee of fixing his problem!

Or you could embrace the free software movement and get help and
assistance from lists like this. It's free!

Regards,
Tony.
-- 
Tony Arnold, IT Security Coordinator, University of Manchester,
IT Services Division, Kilburn Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL.
T: +44 (0)161 275 6093, F: +44 (0)870 136 1004, M: +44 (0)773 330 0039
E: tony.arnold at manchester.ac.uk, H: http://www.man.ac.uk/Tony.Arnold