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How to delete Linux Mint 100% completely from my harddrive?

Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:34 pm
by theusername
I want to know if I'm doing anything wrong here. I need to know if I am doing this right for future reference as I always want to know how to uninstall something if I install it first.. Here is my steps. Please tell me if something is wrong and how I should fix it.

Install:
1. Boot Mint from usb
2. Install Mint alongside windows
3. Choose partition 2? I've never done this step before. I've only installed it completely, I've never dual booted before.

Remove:
1. Load up Windows 8
2. Open EasyBCD in Windows
3. Restore Windows MBR (Just press restore? Anything else I have to press?)
4. Open EASEUS Partition Manager
5. Delete Disk 2?(Help this step is confusing! It looks like this: http://i.imgur.com/s9xNF5n.png what will Linux Mint look like in here when I install it?)
6. Reboot PC and make sure everything is gone

Thanks for the help and I have not installed Mint yet, just making sure how to do it before I actually install it, if anything goes wrong I will know how to uninstall it.

Re: How to delete Linux Mint 100% completely from my harddri

Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:45 pm
by wayne128
Are you trying to dual boot?
Not sure what is partition2.. and to be sure, you need some knowledge on your hard disk.
I do not like to use automatic partitioning in Linux, or install side by side.. well all these are individual preference. I always partition the hard disk first, so that I know EXACTLT where I install the Linux OS, then when I want to remove, i also know exactly where to delete.


You can do this to figure out what your hard disk partition is
1. boot from Linux DVD and run in Live, you do not need to install anything.
2. open a terminal, type two commands, and post their results

sudo fdik -l

sudo parted -l

3. you can also run gparted from Linux DVD in Live mode, then take a snapshot image of the hard disk, post here, it will give a graphical representation of the hard disk partition.
like this one
http://partedmagic.com/lib/exe/fetch.ph ... Fgp15.jpeg

Re: How to delete Linux Mint 100% completely from my harddri

Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:04 pm
by theusername
wayne128 wrote:Are you trying to dual boot?
Not sure what is partition2.. and to be sure, you need some knowledge on your hard disk.
I do not like to use automatic partitioning in Linux, or install side by side.. well all these are individual preference. I always partition the hard disk first, so that I know EXACTLT where I install the Linux OS, then when I want to remove, i also know exactly where to delete.


You can do this to figure out what your hard disk partition is
1. boot from Linux DVD and run in Live, you do not need to install anything.
2. open a terminal, type two commands, and post their results

sudo fdik -l

sudo parted -l

3. you can also run gparted from Linux DVD in Live mode, then take a snapshot image of the hard disk, post here, it will give a graphical representation of the hard disk partition.
like this one
http://partedmagic.com/lib/exe/fetch.ph ... Fgp15.jpeg
Yes I am trying to dual boot. So I should partition my hard drive first?
What do I partition? There are like 5 different things that show up in EASEUS partition manager.

Re: How to delete Linux Mint 100% completely from my harddri

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 2:19 am
by wayne128
theusername wrote:
Yes I am trying to dual boot. So I should partition my hard drive first?
What do I partition? There are like 5 different things that show up in EASEUS partition manager.
Yes. partition the hard disk first.

Read up from internet tutorial on gparted.

Just follow those commands already posted in my last reply.

Re: How to delete Linux Mint 100% completely from my harddri

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 2:39 am
by Pierre
to remove, in steps 4 & 5 - you can use the Miny cd, again - to remove the partition.

also - if you have a D: drive - under windows, - you can use that as the Mint partition,
& reformat it back - as a D: drive -afterwards.

Re: How to delete Linux Mint 100% completely from my harddri

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 7:41 am
by usbtux
please see :

How to dualboot Windows and Linux using a simple install. http://youtu.be/lzXZpEWTApc

How to dualboot Windows and Linux using a manual install http://youtu.be/GlEVQqFtcuM

The main issue, have you got eufi booting. there may be more steps involved if you have - please google. and see
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=123919

Deleting partitions can be done from gparted in a livecd/usb then relocate the unallocated space as required.

Re: How to delete Linux Mint 100% completely from my harddri

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 4:58 pm
by theusername
usbtux wrote:please see :

How to dualboot Windows and Linux using a simple install. http://youtu.be/lzXZpEWTApc

How to dualboot Windows and Linux using a manual install http://youtu.be/GlEVQqFtcuM

The main issue, have you got eufi booting. there may be more steps involved if you have - please google. and see
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=123919

Deleting partitions can be done from gparted in a livecd/usb then relocate the unallocated space as required.
Yeah I have UEFI because I'm on Windows 8...
Thanks for the videos though. I will watch them and tell you if I have any questions

Re: How to delete Linux Mint 100% completely from my harddri

Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 5:13 am
by bb333
theusername wrote:I want to know if I'm doing anything wrong here. I need to know if I am doing this right for future reference as I always want to know how to uninstall something if I install it first.. Here is my steps. Please tell me if something is wrong and how I should fix it.

Install:
1. Boot Mint from usb
2. Install Mint alongside windows
3. Choose partition 2? I've never done this step before. I've only installed it completely, I've never dual booted before.

Remove:
1. Load up Windows 8
2. Open EasyBCD in Windows
3. Restore Windows MBR (Just press restore? Anything else I have to press?)
4. Open EASEUS Partition Manager
5. Delete Disk 2?(Help this step is confusing! It looks like this: http://i.imgur.com/s9xNF5n.png what will Linux Mint look like in here when I install it?)
6. Reboot PC and make sure everything is gone

Thanks for the help and I have not installed Mint yet, just making sure how to do it before I actually install it, if anything goes wrong I will know how to uninstall it.
Is that screenshot what your computer has for a partition layout? If so, you can "remove" linux by pressing the restore button and Win8 will be reinstalled. ***Just do not delete/touch that last recovery partition.**** There will also be a recovery option in the linux boot screen to start the restore process too.


[*]Boot liveusb
[*]Shrink C: Acer partition with GParted. Leave whatever room you may need in windows. Shrinking it 100GB should be plenty for now leaving windows with 270GB. This process will take a while. If a laptop, plug it in before.
[*]When installing, it will ask you where to install linux to. ****You will have to manually tell it to use that newly created space.******

Re: How to delete Linux Mint 100% completely from my harddri

Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 11:55 am
by theusername
bb333 wrote:
theusername wrote:I want to know if I'm doing anything wrong here. I need to know if I am doing this right for future reference as I always want to know how to uninstall something if I install it first.. Here is my steps. Please tell me if something is wrong and how I should fix it.

Install:
1. Boot Mint from usb
2. Install Mint alongside windows
3. Choose partition 2? I've never done this step before. I've only installed it completely, I've never dual booted before.

Remove:
1. Load up Windows 8
2. Open EasyBCD in Windows
3. Restore Windows MBR (Just press restore? Anything else I have to press?)
4. Open EASEUS Partition Manager
5. Delete Disk 2?(Help this step is confusing! It looks like this: http://i.imgur.com/s9xNF5n.png what will Linux Mint look like in here when I install it?)
6. Reboot PC and make sure everything is gone

Thanks for the help and I have not installed Mint yet, just making sure how to do it before I actually install it, if anything goes wrong I will know how to uninstall it.
Is that screenshot what your computer has for a partition layout? If so, you can "remove" linux by pressing the restore button and Win8 will be reinstalled. ***Just do not delete/touch that last recovery partition.**** There will also be a recovery option in the linux boot screen to start the restore process too.


[*]Boot liveusb
[*]Shrink C: Acer partition with GParted. Leave whatever room you may need in windows. Shrinking it 100GB should be plenty for now leaving windows with 270GB. This process will take a while. If a laptop, plug it in before.
[*]When installing, it will ask you where to install linux to. ****You will have to manually tell it to use that newly created space.******
Thank you for the reply
yes in the screenshot those are my partitions on my harddrive
But in install option on linux mint it shows "there are no other operating systems installed"
Also is this an alternative way to uninstall linux ?
Wipe the partition of Linux and then Resize windows partition over the unallocated space? Then using EasyBCD to restore MBR?

Re: How to delete Linux Mint 100% completely from my harddri

Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 6:31 pm
by bb333
theusername wrote:
bb333 wrote:
theusername wrote:I want to know if I'm doing anything wrong here. I need to know if I am doing this right for future reference as I always want to know how to uninstall something if I install it first.. Here is my steps. Please tell me if something is wrong and how I should fix it.

Install:
1. Boot Mint from usb
2. Install Mint alongside windows
3. Choose partition 2? I've never done this step before. I've only installed it completely, I've never dual booted before.

Remove:
1. Load up Windows 8
2. Open EasyBCD in Windows
3. Restore Windows MBR (Just press restore? Anything else I have to press?)
4. Open EASEUS Partition Manager
5. Delete Disk 2?(Help this step is confusing! It looks like this: http://i.imgur.com/s9xNF5n.png what will Linux Mint look like in here when I install it?)
6. Reboot PC and make sure everything is gone

Thanks for the help and I have not installed Mint yet, just making sure how to do it before I actually install it, if anything goes wrong I will know how to uninstall it.
Is that screenshot what your computer has for a partition layout? If so, you can "remove" linux by pressing the restore button and Win8 will be reinstalled. ***Just do not delete/touch that last recovery partition.**** There will also be a recovery option in the linux boot screen to start the restore process too.


[*]Boot liveusb
[*]Shrink C: Acer partition with GParted. Leave whatever room you may need in windows. Shrinking it 100GB should be plenty for now leaving windows with 270GB. This process will take a while. If a laptop, plug it in before.
[*]When installing, it will ask you where to install linux to. ****You will have to manually tell it to use that newly created space.******
Thank you for the reply
yes in the screenshot those are my partitions on my harddrive
But in install option on linux mint it shows "there are no other operating systems installed"
Also is this an alternative way to uninstall linux ?
Wipe the partition of Linux and then Resize windows partition over the unallocated space? Then using EasyBCD to restore MBR?
Things get weird because of all that secure boot non-sense.
Yeah I have UEFI because I'm on Windows 8...
The installer may not be detecting Win8 because of that.

Yes, that will remove linux too.

Re: How to delete Linux Mint 100% completely from my harddri

Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 9:37 pm
by theusername
I am installing windows 7 and wiping my harddrive. so now is the process much easier to install? Just resize my C drive and then install Mint on that?

Re: How to delete Linux Mint 100% completely from my harddri

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 1:28 am
by bb333
theusername wrote:I am installing windows 7 and wiping my harddrive. so now is the process much easier to install? Just resize my C drive and then install Mint on that?
It's best to keep that recovery partition or create recovery media. Sending your computer in for service will require the default windows install back on your device.

Installing win7 and then installing Linux.
  • Boot liveusb and use gparted to remove all partitions except that last one (Push button reset).
  • Then create:

    Primary NTFS partition for win7. Make it however big you need it to be.
    10GB ext4 partition (mount point / ) (20GB max)
    (size of your RAM) swap partition
    Remaining space ext4 partition (mount point /home)

    That gives you 4 partitions + that recovery partition at the end.
  • Install win7 in that first partition.
  • Install linux mint, ubuntu, or whatever in those other partitions. You may have to manually select / and /home.
Out of warranty?
  • Boot win7 cd/usb, reformat entire drive, create partition just for Win7 and leave space for linux. (e.g. 100GB for C: win7 and the rest unformated.
  • Boot livecd/usb and just install in that unformatted area.