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How to remove a Linux distro without screwing up your MBR

  • 07-06-2006 11:32am
    #1
    philologos
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,479 ✭✭✭✭


    If you are dual booting Linux with Windows there are a couple of things you have to remember when you want to remove the Linux distro from your dual boot setup.

    Firstly boot up into Windows and extract the zip that is attached with this post.
    using the command prompt go to whatever folder you have put the extracted files in.. (Start -> Run -> cmd) then use cd to navigate there

    when you have reached the folder type MBRFix /drive 0 fixmbr
    This will restore the old Windows bootloader on your system. Now to fully remove the Linux on your hard disk space, boot up the windows CD and delete the Linux partitions using the graphical interface.

    Format them into FAT or NTFS and boot back into windows. Linux will be totally removed from your hard drive.

    (Just thought this would be important incase someone went along and had problems with it)

    mbrfix.zip is for the 32 bit version of windows while mbrfix64.zip is for the 64 bit version of windows


Comments

  • #2
    PhantomBeaker
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 304 ✭✭PhantomBeaker


    Thanks. I find the mbrfix program useful... I'm planning to do some playing with grub (it'd be SO much simpler with lilo in this case, but grub has too many nice features), and this sort of utility is helpful... mainly because I can handle reinstalling stuff, but I want to leave my parents with a working version of windows at all times.

    I just have one important question: Is this utility specific to any particular version of windows? I.e. is it specific to a particular service pack of windows XP, or is it universal (i.e. have you tested it with many distros of windows, or just your own?)

    Thanks,
    Aoife


  • #3
    philologos
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,479 ✭✭✭✭philologos


    I tested it on SP2 32bit and I know that the 64bit one is for Windows XP 64bit, I'm nearly sure it should run on all 32 bit versions of windows


  • #4
    lazygit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 624 ✭✭✭lazygit


    i have alsways just used "fdisk /mbr" then deleted the linux partitions using diskmanager in windows.


  • #5
    philologos
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,479 ✭✭✭✭philologos


    well as long as you can get it working again


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