[SOLVED] Dual boots and more...

seriouschat · 11-09-2008, 11:03 AM

- HPa6130n
- Vista Home Premium = 300gb SATA
- Ubuntu 8.10 = 40gb PATA
- using GRUB bootloader

1. What's the best way to remove Linux from my 40gb drive, format it, and have Vista boot solo? I have a few ideas of how to, but after doing a little search online, I was a bit thrown off. I would assume the MBR was never modified and that there would be no reason to do so now - especially since I want it as it was. However; the suggestions mentioned rewriting the MBR first before removing Linux. Is that right??

2. I'm moving Ubuntu to a partition on my SATA drive because I want something more permanent. I was thinking about using the 40gb drive as another test drive for Fedora 9. Question... would Ubuntu's GRUB loader detect both OS's and work accordingly? I want Ubuntu as my default OS, then have the option to boot from Vista or Fedora. I won't be doing it now as I have some cleaning to do first, but just curious.

Thanks!

**wmorri** · 11-09-2008, 12:41 PM

Hi,

For Number 1:
Please follow these instructions line for line. This will allow you to partition your hdd. You will need two things, an ISO file from

Gparted, and a program that will allow you to burn a LiveCD. I would recommend CDburnerXP, or Finalburner. Unless you have a cd burner that will burn ISO files. A regular cd burning program won't work. It must have an ISO burning function.

Go to GParted, then download an ISO file for the latest version.
Download a copy of CDburnerXP or Finalburner or an ISO burner of your choice.
Burn a LiveCd

Let me know when you have that done and I will help you with the next step.

For Number 2:
You should be able to do it. If you install Ubuntu before Fedora you should be all set with that. I am guessing that you have figured out how to boot vista and Ubuntu together which is one less step that we need to discuss, GREAT!

Cheers!

Cheers!

seriouschat · 11-10-2008, 08:09 AM

Thanks! I have gparted ready to go.

**Bartender** · 11-10-2008, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seriouschat

I would assume the MBR was never modified and that there would be no reason to do so now - especially since I want it as it was. However; the suggestions mentioned rewriting the MBR first before removing Linux. Is that right??

If you had a HDD with Vista on it, then installed Ubuntu to that drive so that it was able to dual-boot, then, yes, the MBR was modified by GRUB.

That's why you saw suggestions to repair the Vista MBR first. Re-writing the MBR to original would let Vista boot, and it would also cripple the ability to boot into Ubuntu. But you don't care about that.

I'm not sure if wmorri is going to suggest deleting the Ubuntu partition first, or re-writing the MBR first, or what, so let's wait and see what he says. I don't want to give contradictory advice.

seriouschat · 11-10-2008, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bartender

If you had a HDD with Vista on it, then installed Ubuntu to that drive so that it was able to dual-boot, then, yes, the MBR was modified by GRUB.

That's why you saw suggestions to repair the Vista MBR first. Re-writing the MBR to original would let Vista boot, and it would also cripple the ability to boot into Ubuntu. But you don't care about that.

I'm not sure if wmorri is going to suggest deleting the Ubuntu partition first, or re-writing the MBR first, or what, so let's wait and see what he says. I don't want to give contradictory advice.

Thank you for that. I had my sequence of events out of order. I thought that GRUB actually came first in line and directed things that way.

So actually, the MBR is read first and was simply modified to point to the GRUB loader instead of Vista'a boot loader. That would make sense as to why it must be modified again.

seriouschat · 11-11-2008, 12:59 PM

Thanks for the help. Everything seems to be in working order. Figures, as my partition is now clean and ready for Ubuntu. Oh well.

**wmorri** · 11-11-2008, 02:56 PM

Hi,

Glad to hear that you figured it out. Also, thanks for marking this thread as solved. Please stay around and help when you can.

Cheers!

**Bartender** · 11-11-2008, 06:51 PM

serious -
Are you planning on moving forward with a dual boot on the Vista HDD?

seriouschat · 11-11-2008, 07:09 PM

Absolutely. Already backed up what I needed and deleted the partition.

**Bartender** · 11-12-2008, 06:11 AM

OK, good luck and if something's not fairly clear ask questions before pulling the trigger!

11-09-2008, 11:03 AM	#1 (permalink)
seriouschat Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 68 OS: Ubuntu 8.10 / Vista	[SOLVED] Dual boots and more... - HPa6130n - Vista Home Premium = 300gb SATA - Ubuntu 8.10 = 40gb PATA - using GRUB bootloader 1. What's the best way to remove Linux from my 40gb drive, format it, and have Vista boot solo? I have a few ideas of how to, but after doing a little search online, I was a bit thrown off. I would assume the MBR was never modified and that there would be no reason to do so now - especially since I want it as it was. However; the suggestions mentioned rewriting the MBR first before removing Linux. Is that right?? 2. I'm moving Ubuntu to a partition on my SATA drive because I want something more permanent. I was thinking about using the 40gb drive as another test drive for Fedora 9. Question... would Ubuntu's GRUB loader detect both OS's and work accordingly? I want Ubuntu as my default OS, then have the option to boot from Vista or Fedora. I won't be doing it now as I have some cleaning to do first, but just curious. Thanks! Last edited by seriouschat : 11-09-2008 at 11:17 AM.

11-09-2008, 12:41 PM	#2 (permalink)
wmorri Moderator Alt. Computing Join Date: May 2008 Location: /etc/pm Posts: 1,224 OS: Vista Basic SP1/Ubuntu 8.04/Fedora 10	Re: Dual boots and more... Hi, For Number 1: Please follow these instructions line for line. This will allow you to partition your hdd. You will need two things, an ISO file from Gparted, and a program that will allow you to burn a LiveCD. I would recommend CDburnerXP, or Finalburner. Unless you have a cd burner that will burn ISO files. A regular cd burning program won't work. It must have an ISO burning function. Go to GParted, then download an ISO file for the latest version. Download a copy of CDburnerXP or Finalburner or an ISO burner of your choice. Burn a LiveCd Let me know when you have that done and I will help you with the next step. For Number 2: You should be able to do it. If you install Ubuntu before Fedora you should be all set with that. I am guessing that you have figured out how to boot vista and Ubuntu together which is one less step that we need to discuss, GREAT! Cheers! Cheers! __________________ If I have posted on your thread and haven't replied within 48hrs please PM me. I will try to be as prompt as possible! Linux Forever! Learning is doing, not being able to follow steps put forth by others. When posting what errors you get, please give the full message. It makes helping you much easier.

11-10-2008, 08:09 AM	#3 (permalink)
seriouschat Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 68 OS: Ubuntu 8.10 / Vista	Re: Dual boots and more... Thanks! I have gparted ready to go.

11-11-2008, 12:59 PM	#6 (permalink)
seriouschat Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 68 OS: Ubuntu 8.10 / Vista	Re: [SOLVED] Dual boots and more... Thanks for the help. Everything seems to be in working order. Figures, as my partition is now clean and ready for Ubuntu. Oh well.

11-11-2008, 02:56 PM	#7 (permalink)
wmorri Moderator Alt. Computing Join Date: May 2008 Location: /etc/pm Posts: 1,224 OS: Vista Basic SP1/Ubuntu 8.04/Fedora 10	Re: [SOLVED] Dual boots and more... Hi, Glad to hear that you figured it out. Also, thanks for marking this thread as solved. Please stay around and help when you can. Cheers! __________________ If I have posted on your thread and haven't replied within 48hrs please PM me. I will try to be as prompt as possible! Linux Forever! Learning is doing, not being able to follow steps put forth by others. When posting what errors you get, please give the full message. It makes helping you much easier.

11-11-2008, 06:51 PM	#8 (permalink)
Bartender Mentally divergent Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA, USA Posts: 1,231 OS: W2K, Ubuntu 8.04	Re: [SOLVED] Dual boots and more... serious - Are you planning on moving forward with a dual boot on the Vista HDD?

11-11-2008, 07:09 PM	#9 (permalink)
seriouschat Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 68 OS: Ubuntu 8.10 / Vista	Re: [SOLVED] Dual boots and more... Absolutely. Already backed up what I needed and deleted the partition.

11-12-2008, 06:11 AM	#10 (permalink)
Bartender Mentally divergent Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA, USA Posts: 1,231 OS: W2K, Ubuntu 8.04	Re: [SOLVED] Dual boots and more... OK, good luck and if something's not fairly clear ask questions before pulling the trigger!