SOLVED --- How do I uninstall Mint

[CutRightSharpening]

without getting into this >> viewtopic.php?f=46&t=285865&p=1580777#p1580945 << quagmire again.

The Mint installation is on a small secondary HD

more info here http://paste.ubuntu.com/p/bFmw5wfmtp/

[CutRightSharpening]

My searching shows that this question has been being asked for over a decade and so far there is no answer.
There also seems to be no tool to avoid getting the "GRUB RESCUE" error.
There is no tool to remove GRUB even..

So far the only thing offered in these forums is to delete the linux partisans using some disc management tool and then use a Windows RESTORE/RECOVERY disc to repair the boot loader but that still leaves GRUB lurking on the drive taking up space but hidden from Windows.

All the way back in 2010 someone asked in the SUGGESTIONS for the development of a simple tool and nothing exists yet?

[richyrich]

Gparted Live CD . .

Please be sure to read the section titled "Usage Instructions"

https://gparted.org/livecd.php

[philotux]

1) From your Live LM 18.x USB, launch gparted and delete Mint's partitions.

2) The procedure of restoring the MBR was explained by @gm10 here:

Boot to the LM18.3 installation medium, open a terminal window and run the following, replacing /dev/sdX with the name for your boot drive (likely /dev/sda but see the output of the commands I asked for to be sure - you may also have to replace the mbr binary depending on the partition table type, again seen in the output of the commands I asked for - see the pattern?):

Code: Select all

sudo dd if=/usr/lib/SYSLINUX/mbr.bin of=/dev/sdX

PS: If you prefer a GUI tool that makes the decisions for you, see here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair

Also, have a read on how to use boot-repair to restore MBR here:
https://www.howopensource.com/2011/08/r ... ve-cd-usb/

[CutRightSharpening]

I want to end up with a computer that DOES NOT have linux mint or grub on it.

One set of instructions listed so far simply restored the GRUB boot menu with mint still installed on the secondary drive.

I removed the secondary drive and attempted to start the computer using a freshly made WIN RECOVERY DISC and no options resulted in the machine booting up to anything other than the GRUB RESCUE prompt.

It appears that GRUB and it's settings get saved as part of making the WIN7 Recovery disc.

So, maybe I have asked the wrong question. Since I can get Linux Mint off the machine by removing the HD.

Maybe what I need to know is how to get rid of GRUB so the machine will revert to the original boot system?

[philotux]

Then without the disc containing Mint, perform the step 2 (courtesy of @gm10) in my previous post. Have a read on the link I gave as well!
If you use bootrepair, only check the box for restoring MBR!

Boot-Repair.png

Good Luck!

[CutRightSharpening]

Then without the disc containing Mint, perform the step 2 (courtesy of @gm10) in my previous post. Have a read on the link I gave as well!
If you use bootrepair, only check the box for restoring MBR!

Boot-Repair.png

Good Luck!

ok did this using my mint cd>>>

On dual boot Ubuntu and Windows, If you like to uninstall / remove Ubuntu from your machine and like to have windows alone. Then you need to restore your original MBR and it can be done easily with Boot Repair using Ubuntu Live CD / USB.

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To install the Boot Repair
You need to have Ubuntu Live CD or Live USB. Boot using your Ubuntu Live CD or Live USB, while booting choose Try Ubuntu.

Once booted then open a terminal, and run the following command one by one to install the boot repair.

To add boot-repair to the repository

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sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair
To Update your repository

sudo apt-get update
To install boot-repair

sudo apt-get install -y boot-repair

and now I get an error unable to locate package boot-repair.
Update
Might have had a network outage as i have now seem to have it running

[philotux]

Check your internet connection and run the sudo apt-get update command again.
The whole sequence of commands to be run one by one

Code: Select all

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y boot-repair && boot-repair

[CutRightSharpening]

OK,
Three straight reboots to win7 without any glitches.

The instructions here >>>> https://www.howopensource.com/2011/08/r ... ve-cd-usb/ <<< are a bit sketchy and probably need to be updated.

A MAJOR point is that between doing this >>

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair

and this >>

sudo apt-get update

in the terminal you must hit "ENTER" or the whole things
will fail. A confusing note shows up in the terminal saying to do it, but, the same note offers another option and it was not clear to me that one or the other had to be done.

Beyond that, none of the screen shots they show were what I saw. I think the interface has gotten a face lift since the last edit of the directions.

Next. Maybe in the suggestions. IF GPARTED is going to be included on the LIVE media, maybe Root Repair should be on it too and a note during the installation telling the new user that they exist and some basics about what they can be used for in the event of problems.

Just a thought from a 69 year old lady that is completely self taught on all thing electronic and programming that she attempts.

Hopefully, after I have made sure this machine is completely clean, It will get Mint 19 as the primary OS and Win7 P as a secondary so I can donate it to a friend that is disabled and in the early stages of dementia so they can get/keep their mind active and slow the progression.

[philotux]

You did it! Congrats!

[jglen490]

I want to end up with a computer that DOES NOT have linux mint or grub on it.

One set of instructions listed so far simply restored the GRUB boot menu with mint still installed on the secondary drive.

I removed the secondary drive and attempted to start the computer using a freshly made WIN RECOVERY DISC and no options resulted in the machine booting up to anything other than the GRUB RESCUE prompt.

It appears that GRUB and it's settings get saved as part of making the WIN7 Recovery disc.

So, maybe I have asked the wrong question. Since I can get Linux Mint off the machine by removing the HD.

Maybe what I need to know is how to get rid of GRUB so the machine will revert to the original boot system?

Well, that's a goal. The question remains, what do you want on it. In almost every situation that I can think of, if you want a different OS - then install that OS over the current Mint. If you want nothing on the machine, so you can give it to someone else, Gparted will work O.K., overwriting the disk with zeroes will work fine.

The point is, there is no one answer, it depends on your goal.