Solved Removin Linux partition

[bagua7]

Removing Linux partition

I have Linux on dual boot with Wind 7 but no longer want the former. Here's a screenshot of disk management:

I would like to know what corresponds to Linux in order to make sure I am not deleting Windows stuff!

So what of those "boxes" do I need to delete?

I am following these instructions:

How to Uninstall Windows or Linux After Dual-Booting

Thanks in advance.

 

[Golden]

There are usually 2 partitions associated with a classic installation of Linux. I think it might be these 2:



Unfortunately, Windows Disk Management doesn't positively identify them, so its better to use the FREE version of Partition Wizard to confirm this....the 2 Linux partitions should be labelled EXT4 and Linux swap. It should look similar to this image:



Be 100% sure you understand how to take care of the boot manager before deleting those partitions, or you won't be able to boot Windows. If you do NOT require access to OEM recovery features or Bitlocker Drive Encryption, then this is the easiest way to take care of that:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/209885-bootmgr-move-c-easybcd.html

In fact, I think you are better off following this tutorial for removing Linux, and not the one you linked:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/210983-dual-boot-delete-os.html

 

[gregrocker]

We know by the System flag on C that it is already booting Win7, so there should be no problem deleting the Linux partitions after confirming the third and fourth partitions are them in Partition Wizard.

Then you can add the Unallocated Space to either C or D using the Partition Wizard Extend function, which I would use from the bootable disk to be safest: How to extend partition easily with Partition Wizard - video help.

Is the 25gb first partition a Recovery Partition? If not you can delete and extend C into it if you want using the PW disk to Extend C.

Always back up your data and a Win7 System image before resizing which can fail with data loss, although we've never had a failure using the PW Boot Disk in thousands of partitioning operations we've helped with here.

 

[BJB]

I would always take a full disk image rather than a system image before making any change at all to the partition structure. That guarantees a way back should you make a mistake or should there be any malfunction. You can do this with the built-in Win 7 backup system or with free third party software such as Macrium Reflect.

 

[bagua7]

There are usually 2 partitions associated with a classic installation of Linux. I think it might be these 2:

In fact, I think you are better off following this tutorial for removing Linux, and not the one you linked:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/210983-dual-boot-delete-os.html

Thanks. Here's in mine using PW:

It doesn't say Linux Swap, but I remember now that when I first installed Linux (now corrupt due to a logon bug in Mint v. 16 which is a nightmare to fix; easier and quicker to uninstall and reinstall the OS again) I allocated to the OS just a small size of the disk. I am quite sure those two are related to Linux. Now, I assume that Win 7 bootmgr resides in C:/, right?:

Regarding the boot menu. Here's what EasyBCD is showing:

So my guess is that I need to do nothing, correct?

Is the 25gb first partition a Recovery Partition? If not you can delete and extend C into it if you want using the PW disk to Extend C.

I have no idea. Can someone confirm this please?

 

[gregrocker]

The first partition could only be a Recovery partition unless you deliberately created a 25gb partition when you reinstalled. Is this still the factory preinstall? If so you might want to considering doing the vastly superior Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 in which case you'd delete the Recovery partition since it won't run anyway after reinstall.

If you want further help determining if its a Recovery partition we need to know the maker of your PC. You can see if there is access to Recovery options in the All Programs menu if this is the original factory preinstall. Or you can reboot and use the key given for Factory Recovery or Reset to see if it will even run and queue up, then bail out.

But if you know for sure you don't want it anyway, then you can delete it and recover the space the way I described.

I explained which is the partition booting Win7 - the one which is labeled System is the way we know this. The Boot label you pointed to only means the partition which is presently booted. And Active flag only points to the partition intended to be System.

So you're good to delete the Linux partitions, Extend into the space from C using Disk Mgmt, or if you want to Extend to the left from the Data partition, or into the deleted Recovery partition space from C, you must use the Partition Wizard Extend or Resize function for which I linked you a video tutorial.

 

[Golden]

Yeah. Your boot manager is fine. Simply remove those partitions and you are good to go

 

[bagua7]

OK, thanks. Btw, in regards to the tutorial you linked earlier, I still need to finish with steps 3, 4, & 5, right?

If you want further help determining if its a Recovery partition we need to know the maker of your PC.

I'd rather not run through that because I would have to set all up again. I much prefer a quicker and 'easier' way.

I still don't know where the 25 GB come from but as you stated is most likely a boot/recovery partition that came with my Asus K53S notebook.

 

[Golden]

Step 3,4,5 are not needed since your bootmanger is already on C:....but I would follow those steps anyway just to be 100% sure. It won't harm to do it.

 

[gregrocker]

If you want further help determining if its a Recovery partition we need to know the maker of your PC.

I'd rather not run through that because I would have to set all up again. I much prefer a quicker and 'easier' way.

I still don't know where the 25 GB come from but as you stated is most likely a boot/recovery partition that came with my Asus K53S notebook.

Why would you have to set it up again? I only asked what the make was or said you could look at your Recovery options without running Recovery. If it's Asus, the Win7 Recovery is from the F8
System Recovery Options but is only functional with the factory install. If you've reinstalled or don't want your Recovery partition you can delete it and reclaim the 25gb of space in the fastest sectors of the disk.

There is no reason to transfer the boot files with EasyBCD since they are clearly on C. The tutorial is incorrect that the Active flag points to which is booting Win7. This is the sole purpose of the System flag.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
You guys make this stuff TOO complicated by far

Here's REALLY how to do it ( I'm an "Old Fashioned" Oil and Gas Engineer not an I.T Guru - but I've messed around (and messed UP) enough computers in my time.

Link refers to UBUNTU - but any Distro -- same procedure.

uninstall - Removing GRUB from windows system after uninstalling Ubuntu from Windows 7 - Ask Ubuntu

Cheers
jimbo.

 

[bagua7]

So, step 3 (clean up the bootmgr) should be skipped in my case, right? Should I allocate the remaining 25 GB to the rest of this disk (how to do that, thanks) or leave them there in case I want to reinstall Linux?

Sorry if I ask so many times, it's my first time ever I get involved with having to remove an OS, rearranging disk sectors, GRUB stuff, etc. It's all too techie for me, I'm afraid.

Thanks all

 

[bagua7]

Problem solved. The remaining 25GB partition was automatically created by the notebook manufacturer, ASUS, as a recovery partition for the OEM Recovery Disks. Thanks.