Uninstalling Ubuntu

Nikolai psalmos at swissinfo.org
Mon Dec 11 00:13:26 UTC 2006


Alexander Duncan wrote:
> Thanks for your reply.
> 
> I have Ubuntu and Windows XP on my machine.
> 
> I want to remove Ubuntu, recombine the Ubuntu partition with the XP 
> partition, then reinstall Ubuntu with a much smaller partition size 
> since I am only running it to learn Unix.
> 
> My problem is I have no idea what to enter when it asks for the valid 
> installation number. The startup directory of the OSs when I boot up is 
> not numbered, and there are at least three or four versions of Ubuntu on 
> the machine.

Perhaps the Recovery Console asks you for your Windows serial number? I 
can't know for sure since I have never used it but it is odd... Have you 
tried giving it a serial number of your Windows disk (if you've got one)?


> So if I want to delete Ubuntu I would access the Windows XP 
> installation? But how do I determine the number when no number is given?

Yes but with a command prompt, the Recovery Console gives you a command 
prompt so that you can fix problems with your Windows installation. You, 
however, only need it to execute one single command: fixmbr. As to the 
number, start with 1, you can't do any damage, all you need is to get to 
the DOS command prompt. Those numbers are only needed to tell Recovery 
Console what OS to load, if you've got one Windows installation and 3-4 
Ubuntu's, if you get the number wrong, it won't load Ubuntu but once you 
get the right number (most likely 1), it will load Windows with the 
command prompt. Type fixmbr and then reboot into your disc where you 
have your partition tool[s] waiting.

Nikolai





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