(SOLVED) Want to remove Windows from a dual-boot setup, removing partitions

[David Borrink]

I’m looking to delete the Windows partition from a laptop with a dual-boot setup. According to a video I found on how to do this with Ubuntu (reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8ae2ebW9ZA) using gparted.

I tried this so I installed gparted via the terminal on the installation flash drive of my Mint installer. Following the video instructions, I was able to choose to delete the Microsoft Reserve partition, but the Basic data partition could not be deleted because the trash icon was greyed I then discovered it needed to be unmounted (strange because I’m booted on the installation USB at the moment).

The next step was to choose the ext4 partition and resize it. The video showed the area able to be expanded from half the resize bar to the full area. My situation had the bar at the full available area without the means to expand. With the Windows partitions unmounted and “deleted” (knowing I haven’t committed to resizing yet), I’m not sure why I cannot resize. I did go back a step and see that the Windows partition could be reformatted as ext4, but then I choose to delete and it came up again as 28GB of unallocated space. The resize option for the ext4 Linux partition still cannot be expanded to take up the full space of the HD. I cannot see why.

(EDITED: I had info about visiting the live installation and checking Disks to see the partitions wondering if I could just delete partitions there. But I am trying this in the install boot USB, for clarification,)

This is my “test” laptop that I used to set up Linux the first time. We learned how to do this on this small laptop before we did it on my wife’s HP Envy, so I’m learning how to delete the partition here before I do it on the Envy “for real”.

[AZgl1800]

you must boot up on a Live Session, use a Flash Drive...

even though you are in Linux now, you are using the same HDD/SDD that you are trying to change the partitions on.

[David Borrink]

I'll clarify, I'm on a boot-up installation USB trying to do this. The last part of my OP was regarding checking the Disk utility to see the partitions in that app while back on the live Linux install.

I'm trying to do the gparted work while in the installation USB. So that means both the Windows and Linux partitions are not active.

Just not able to see why my "deleted" Windows partition cannot allow my Linux partition to resize. The Windows partition is now "unallocated space" but it's not appearing as available in the Resize panel for the Linux partition, per the video example I watched.

[AndyMH]

Any partition you want to resize/move must be unmounted before you can make any changes. The key symbol indicates a partition is in use:

All three partitions on this drive are in use. To modify your / partition you must boot from your mint install stick and use the version of gparted on that.

[David Borrink]

Thank you AndyNH, I checked my gparted interface and the NTFS partitions were unmounted and deleted. No key icons next to them. The only partitions left are

1. EFI (active)
2. Unassigned with 29GB space that was the Windows partition, unmounted)
3. The ext4 partition with the Linux install of 28GB, mounted
4. Unassigned space that was the Windows Recover partition, unmounted

When I chose #3 and Resize, the panel does not reflect that #2 is available. #3 fills 99% of the window with no option to resize larger. That is the problem. I cannot seem to find any setting in the windows that might give me a clue what this cannot resize.

Unfortunately, screen shots on the install USB boot-up seem to be impossible to do.

[AndyMH]

I'm guessing that it might be a legacy install with an extended partition getting in the way. As long as you have internet access you can post screenshots from the install usb, but probably simpler to post the output from sudo parted --list.

[David Borrink]

Well, I cannot get screenshots to upload from the installation boot. It says the images are too large. And it's a small screen, too.

I've been reading of other's issues with resizing and some say the partitions need to be right next to each other. They are.

You wondered about a legacy install? This is a brand new HP 14" laptop so it's Windows 10, and I assume pretty current. One of the most basic models.

[David Borrink]

Because there's always a workaround. Shot from my phone.... You can see that the partitions are next to each other, yet no ability to grab it.



The photo below is the resize options available when I open the dialog. It should match the above setup, but it shows I don't have the ability to expand the partition.

[David Borrink]

I did do the

Code: Select all

sudo parted --list

command and it says,

Code: Select all

Warning: The driver descriptor says the physical block size is 2048 bytes, but Linux says it is 512 bytes.
Ignore/Cancel?

With a prompt I assume would be answered with I or C

[Jo-con-Ël]

1)You need to unmount all partitions on that disk. That's the reason why you can not make this operation from installed system as you can not unmount system partition when running. Now the one you are trying to resize is mounted, so first right click on it> Unmount.

2)All delete operations are still pending (not applied). Once you are sure what you are doing you can Apply those operations before resizing/move Mint partition (click checking mark icon on Gparted panel or in Gpated menu bar Edit>Apply all operations...or pressing Ctrl+Enter)

3)You'd better don't run fdisk, parted or another disk manager tool (nor from terminal neither with GUI apps as Disks) while another partitioning tool is still working. If Gparted was closed, never mind you Cancel or Ignore, as disk repartitioning is not already done, MBR will be recreated on repartitioning and that advise will disappear.

[David Borrink]

Oh, thank you. I didn't connect the dots completely. I didn't think about unmounting the etf4 drive because I was thinking about the ability to delete the partition. It didn't occur to me that the linux partition would need unmounting because I was only thinking of deleting.

Okay, now that I see this can be done, I'll back up the linux partition before I do the actual attempt. Thank you for your answer!

[David Borrink]

Thank you everyone for your help, I successfully got the Windows partition removed from the "test laptop". Success!

[SimonPeter]

Thank you everyone for your help, I successfully got the Windows partition removed from the "test laptop". Success!

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[David Borrink]

Will do. Thanks.