How uninstall opensuse from dual boot?

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

I installed opensuse 11.1 on a computer with windows such that now when it starts up, it first goes to the opensuse dual-boot screen. So, what’s the proper/safe way to uninstall it? So that only windows is left and it boots properly into it?

#2

Can I do it this way?

**1. YAST -> System -> Partitioner

  1. Delete all Linux partitions swap and “Win95 Ext’d (LBA)” (if it exists) can also be deleted, provided it no longer contains any logical drives.**

How can i be sure it’s all the non-windows partitions? is it that they’re all /dev/sda(x)?

(Also, I did not resize anything during install, and simply installed on an unformatted drive)

3. Complete all changes by choosing “Next” and confirm with “Yes”.

(Are the changes applied instantly or on shutdown? In other words, should I move step 4 before steps 1-3?)

4. YAST -> Boot Loader -> Reset -> Restore MBR of Hard Disk

Will that restore the original windows loader?

After all the above steps, will I have only a working windows install? Is this the safe, proper way to do this?

What about this comment I saw in another thread? Will my above step 4 take care of this?

Do “fdisk -l”. That will show the partitions. One of them will have an asterisk. Check that the asterisk is on the windows bootloader partition. If it is you can proceed to remove Suse. If it’s not on windows but is on Suse, the windows bootloader will not repair until you put the asterisk back there.

#3

I think your safest bet would be to do it from Windows, so that you don’t accidentally get rid of your Windows partition by mistake. It’s been a while since I’ve used it, but there is a disk management tool under the “Administrative Tools” menu in Windows that lets you delete partitions. Use it to delete your linux partition(s). (Please note that opensuse will be gone forever from your machine when you do this…)

After that, boot the computer using your Windows install disk. Go to the command line (Hit “R” to enter recovery console) and then type “fixmbr”. This will replace the OpenSUSE boot loader with the windows one, and it will be as if OpenSUSE was never on your computer.

Makes me sad just thinking about it :’(

#4

Follow the advice of queequeg. But first check in openSUSE that the windows partition is marked as the active partition. Issue this command in a console window:

sudo /sbin/fdisk -l | grep NTFS

The will print out a line representing the NTFS partition/s (windows), here’s mine:

/dev/sda1 * 1 1306 10490413+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

Yours should be similar.
The important thing is that it should have the asterisk in it, representing the active partition, or the method of queequeg won’t work and your drive will be unbootable.

PS just noticed you mentioned this earlier – OK here’s the answer to that.

#5

If it doesn’t have an asterisk, what do I do?

#6

I don’t have a windows install disk, this is a netbook, so no CD reader. What do I do?

Makes me sad too, but wireless doesn’t work in opensuse on this comp.

#7

Step 1: Prepare the bootloader. Go into Suse → Yast → System → Bootloader → Boot Loader Installation → Make sure the tick is in Boot from the Master Boot Record. Then click Boot Loader Options and untick to put generic code in the MBR. Then click OK to proceed.

Step 2: Shift the flag. Open a console and enter this command:

sudo /sbin/cfdisk

A representation of the partitions for sda will open. There should be the marking “Boot” alongside one partition in column labelled Flags. Use the vertical arrow keys to put the highlight on that partition. Then use the horizontal arrows to highlight " Bootable ]". Press enter and the “Boot” flag should disappear. Use the same technique to make the flag “Boot” appear on the line for windows having filesystem type (FS type) NTFS (which I imagine is sda1 - is it sda1).

Then use horizontal arrows to highlight write ] and press enter to save everything. Then quit ] to exit.

I don’t have a windows install disk, this is a netbook, so no CD reader. What do I do?

Go into Suse → Yast → System → Bootloader → Other → restore MBR of hard disk.

#8

Hi
This should help you…
<http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/1156289.html>

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
openSUSE 11.1 (i586) Kernel 2.6.27.19-3.2-pae
up 3:59, 1 user, load average: 0.30, 0.80, 1.36
ASUS eeePC 1000HE ATOM N280 1.66GHz | GPU Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME

#9

OK, so then my steps are (in this order?):

1. YAST -> System -> Partitioner

2. Delete all Linux partitions swap and “Win95 Ext’d (LBA)” (if it exists and no longer contains any logical drives).

How can I be sure it’s all the non-windows partitions? is it that they’re all /dev/sda(x)?

(Also, I did not resize anything during install, and simply installed on an unformatted drive)

**
3. Complete all changes by choosing “Next” and confirm with “Yes”.**

(Are the changes applied instantly or on shutdown? In other words, should I move step 4 before steps 1-3?)

4. Suse → Yast → System → Bootloader → Boot Loader Installation → Make sure the tick is in Boot from the Master Boot Record. Then click Boot Loader Options and untick to put generic code in the MBR. Then click OK to proceed.

5. In BASH: sudo /sbin/cfdisk

**6. Use the vert arrow to highlight “boot” partition and horiz arrows to highlight " Bootable ]". Press enter and the “Boot” flag should disappear. Use the same technique to make the flag “Boot” appear on the line for windows having filesystem type (FS type) NTFS. Then use horizontal arrows to highlight write ] and press enter to save everything. Then quit ] to exit.

  1. YAST -> Boot Loader -> Reset -> Restore MBR of Hard Disk**

Is that all of my steps? Are they in the right order? I assume if I restart after that, opensuse will be gone and it’ll reload right into windows, correct?

#10

regarding post #9 where you asked about the steps:

You can’t delete the partitions from within a running installation with steps 1, 2, 3. The protections won’t let you.

Try only the steps I outlined (which you reiterated as 4, 5, 6, 7). Then when you boot to windows you can delete all the non-windows partitions with the windows partitioner.

This is going to be pretty tricky because of the lack of peripherals to use as tools. If it falls in a heap you’ll have to reinstall windows. So I would back up any important windows data first, onto a usb stick/stub/whatever.

#11

Thanks for the reply!

That’s weird, then why does YAST have those options? And why does opensuse.org list them in their instructions?

Thanks, I’ll backup and give it a try.

#12

You can delete partitions if they’re not mounted (i.e. if they’re not being used). The same as windows – it won’t let you delete itself when it’s running.

And why does opensuse.org list them in their instructions?

Thanks, I’ll backup and give it a try.
If opensuse.org lists advice to try to delete Suse form within itself while it’s running, then it needs to be corrected. Check again and see just what is recommended. If it’s wrong, give me a link and I’ll have it fixed.

#13

What netbook do you have? Most netbooks that I know of have fully working wifi under OpenSUSE including my own Acer One. It came with Windows XP on it’s 120Gb Hard Drive but now runs OpenSUSE 11.1, KDE 3.5 and Windows XP side by side. It was relatively painless ones I got the install actually going.

Why not create a second thread in the network - wireless part of the forum and lets see if we can get that wifi working in stead of getting rid of OpenSUSE?

#14

Hi
The OP has already been down that track, I even built a ath9k-kmp with
patches…still no luck. It’s strange because we both have Asus eeePC’s
and mine works fine.

The OP has around 10+ access points in the location of use which may be
contributing to the issue with the linux driver…

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
openSUSE 11.1 (i586) Kernel 2.6.27.19-3.2-pae
up 11:52, 1 user, load average: 0.37, 0.17, 0.25
ASUS eeePC 1000HE ATOM N280 1.66GHz | GPU Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME

#15

Did you look in this thread? I got mine working using the madwifi drivers. Not Ath5k. That silly thing never worked well for me even with just 1 access point.

11.1 and Atheros AR5007EG Wireless Howto](http://forums-opensuse.provo.novell.com/how-faq-read-only/unreviewed-how-faq/401144-11-1-atheros-ar5007eg-wireless-howto.html)

#16

Thanks. I tried wicd and it has an option to use madwifi as the driver (which I tried) and it didn’t work. I am going to uninstall, reinstall openSUSE (this time from an 8 GB USB stick as the DVD install, last time was a net install) just to see, but I’m not very optomistic. If that doesn’t work, I’m going to try Fedora, then GNU Linux (since that’s what is sometimes sold with this netboox), then Ubuntu and if none of those work, I quit.

#17

Hi,
I think the best way to uninstall openSUSE from a dual-boot configuration is to delete the openSUSE partitions from Windows. In Windows Vista launch diskmgmt.msc from either command prompt or Run dialog box or windows search bar.

Note: Before deleting the openSUSE partitions keep your Windows Vista installation disk handy.

Now, delete the linux root partition, swap, and any other linux drive you don’t want :(. Now, put the Windows Vista installation disk in DVD-drive and reboot the system. Choose to boot from the DVD. Choose repair your computer from the install screen. Windows Vista install disk will detect that there is a problem with Vista startup due to the absense of winboot loader. So, it will install it for you.:wink:

Hope this will work for you.

#18

Nope, as I stated earlier in the thread, there’s no CD drive or windows install disk - it’s a netbook. But I do appreciate the help! :slight_smile:

#19

Hi
But you have the eeePC XP Support DVD?

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
openSUSE 11.1 (i586) Kernel 2.6.27.19-3.2-pae
up 1 day 5:54, 1 user, load average: 0.46, 0.26, 0.18
ASUS eeePC 1000HE ATOM N280 1.66GHz | GPU Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME

#20

Apparently I do (just looked). Didn’t know there was such a thing. I suppose I could put it on a USB stick? How am I supposed to use it?