Removing Linux MInt from dual boot system

[KenWA]

I created a dual boot system on my laptop to experiment with LM. I have now moved to a dual boot system on my desktop and wish to continue to use the laptop just for Windows for the few programs I have not yet transferred to LM to obviate the laborious process of moving between operating systems. The question is how to remove Linux Mint without affecting Windows?

[antikythera]

can you post your partition layout please? A screenshot of GParted would suffice. While it can be done fairly easily, without knowing what layout you are using it may do more harm than good if someone offers you the wrong generic advice.

[KenWA]

file:///home/ken/Desktop/Selection_022.jpg_023.jpg

[ralplpcr]

file:///home/ken/Desktop/Selection_022.jpg_023.jpg

You'll need to actually upload your screenshot somewhere. We have no way of viewing files that are situated on your actual PC in that way.

Try imgur.com for an easy upload, and send the link to where it's stored.

[KenWA]

<blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="a/upldSga" data-context="false" ><a href="//imgur.com/a/upldSga"></a></blockquote><script async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[KenWA]

IMGUR is new to me and I regret I cannot determine how to use it to upload. Above you will see the results of my first effort but after reading several posts I am still unable to proceed. I have not had this trouble posting images on other forums.

[cliffcoggin]

Ken.
You need to add your screenshot as an attachment to your reply. See the attachment tab below the space where you type the reply. You may need to shrink it if the size is too great so best to copy only the relevant part of the screen.

[KenWA]

I found an alternative site which is streets ahead of Imgur in simplicity. https://ibb.co/Y7Ltq4h

[I2k4]

This worked for me a few years ago, reverting to single boot Windows 7 on my little netbook (which is now back to dual booting LM20 XFCE):

https://lifehacker.com/how-to-uninstall ... -508710422

Along with removing the Linux partition will restore the Windows boot loader (get rid of GRUB). Important to be sure data is backed up befoer doing any such procedure.

[KenWA]

Thank you. It looked a very clear and simple solution. After checking all data etc. I moved to Win7, identified the 75GB NTFS as Windows, right clicked on the 153GB Linux partition and clicked 'Delete Volume'. This produced the green box of free space so I clicked on 'Delete Volume' again. This produces the message "There is not enough space available on the disk to complete this operation".
Have you any suggestion as yo how I can proceed from here?

[I2k4]

Thank you. It looked a very clear and simple solution. After checking all data etc. I moved to Win7, identified the 75GB NTFS as Windows, right clicked on the 153GB Linux partition and clicked 'Delete Volume'. This produced the green box of free space so I clicked on 'Delete Volume' again. This produces the message "There is not enough space available on the disk to complete this operation".
Have you any suggestion as yo how I can proceed from here?

It's been years since I did it, and I can't recall any problems. If you're trying the LifeHacker process:

Right-click on the partition and choose "Delete Volume." This will delete the partition from your hard drive, leaving free space. If you get a green box of "free space," you'll have to right-click on it and choose "Delete Volume" a second time until you get the black "Unallocated Space."

"Right-click on your Windows partition and choose "Extend Volume." Extend it to fill the free space your Linux partition left behind.

It seems you should have been able to delete the green box Free Space producing a black box Unallocated Space, which you can then fill by extending the Windows partition. I can only guess, but it might be possible to extend the Windows partition into the green box Free Space. Failing that, there are some free third-party Wndows partition managers with more capabilities than the built-in Windows tool - I can't recommend any but here's an example at the top of a Google search:

https://www.hdd-tool.com/windows-7/free ... ss%20Enter.

If that works you can go back to the LIfeHacker steps to restore the Master Boot Loader. Hope it helps.

[KenWA]

The first thing I did was to try to extend the Windows partition but at this stage the option 'Extend' is greyed out and unavailable.
There are obviously many options for managing partitions but I have no idea where this shortage of space is located. Is it in the Windows partition, the potentially deleted LInux partition or the mysterious unnamed 3.8 GB third partition. In fact I don't understand why deleting the contents of a partition requires any space at all.
Thank you for replying.

[asinoro]

1-Windows backup.
2-Live medium of Windows to fix MBR.
From live Linux Mint medium.
3- gparted unmount all partitions.
4-Delete Linux partition and swap.
5-incease Windows partition and check again with gparted.
6-Reboot from live Windows medium and fix MBR.

[I2k4]

Extending Windows into Free Space might fail becasue Free Space might be in the very different Linus disk format, which Windows doesn't recognize, I have to guess Unallocated Space gets reformatted consistent with the rest of Windows partition. Extending Winows simply recovers the space removed from it to create the Linux dual boot - I'm not in Windows but installing GParted in Linux shows the Windows (NTFS) and the Mint EXT) partitions on my box. You might remember how much space you allocated to Mint while creating the dual boot.

So doing the LIfeHacker procedure would give back to Windows the 75GB now used for Mint. The above advice from Asinoro to do the Windows repartitioning with GParted makes sense, but I have no personal experience.

[KenWA]

"You might remember how much space you allocated to Mint while creating the dual boot."
I never set any space just allowed LInux to do its own thing. THe result is shown in the Gparted diagram on my post of 18/8/20 10.20.

asinore - Since I have already deleted the Linux partition ( my post of 18/8 12.11.), presumably I would need a live LM disk with Gparted to carry out your plan. Unfortunately I do not have this at the moment. I probably need a Windows solutin if possible.

[I2k4]

People do things differently, but on your screen shot I read that out of about 230GB of drive space, 75GB is formatted to Windows NTFS and over 150GB for Linux as ext 4 disk format. You apparently have converted that 150 of Linux to Free Space, but what does Windows tell you is the total file apace available for it? If it's only 75GB that would indicate work repartitiioning is warranted to get the 150GB back.

I have always had to choose the amount of space to allocate from an all-Windows drive to install Mint during the initial procedure, but your hard drive might have been set up otherwise beforehand so that Mint installed where it is. Still looks necessary to find the way to extend Windows onto that big ext4 partition in order to use the whole hard drive - personally would be looking for partition manager to do it.