Ive been searching the web in order to remove the grub loader that was installed when Ive installed Fedora Core 1 a year ago, and the most common answer to remove the grub loader was to type from the Recovery Console. However, some got problems and they couldn't boot again to windows, others saw no changes. I haven't try it yet, since I am aware that some got problems and it's not convenient to have a computer that can't boot, right?

My goal is to free some space since I am not using Fedora now, which I might later but hey, I'll get a newer distro then. I have a dual boot - Win XP and Fedora 1 - using the Grub loader. I want to erase fedora and get back to one OS with the normal boot (hence no grub here). I have no problem to erase fedora, as far as I know I just need to resize my windows partition back to what it was. My concern is on how and when to do this, along with how to remove the grub loader.

During my searches, someone in that post said that you should type before typing the fixmbr command and then running at the end the command I am aware that I have to try it to see if it works, but my point here is to ask your opinion on such a way of doing, and by the same token see if some people who have done it can tell me from their experience.

Regards,
Maxime

Using the recovery console i also had problems. When i tried to modify a HD with Windows on it i was prompted to enter the administrator password. When i put in my password for normal login it wasnt valid even though i was a computer administrator. I too would like to kno how to get rid of GRUB from my Window's hard drive.

I did it once, and it worked without any problems. It worked with both grub and lilo (but never tried this on Fedora). There's another way to restore the XP boot loader too: by using a Win98 boot disk. Many won't recommend doing this, but I recommend and it also worked for me. Here are the two methods:

1 - Place the WinXP/2k on your drive and boot from it. Enter the rescue mode and later choose console. Simply type fixmbr and you are set. If it did not work, then

2 - With a Win98 boot disk, but from your floppy and when you reach the command prompt (C:\) type: "fdisk /mbr". That should do it.

If something goes wrong, you can always reinstall your grub booting from the first CD of Fedora (also rescue mode).

To resize your partitions, you will need a tool to do that. If you use FAT32 as your Windows partition, most Linux distributions has the capability of resizing it. Simply "pretend" that you are going to install Linux again and resize the partitions from it's tool during the Linux installation. If you use NTFS as your Windows partition, things may get more difficult. The only distribution that I know that can resize NTFS is Mandrake.

The very best way, however, is resizing those partitions from your Windows OS. A great, non-free tool for this task is PQ Magic:

http://www.powerquest.com/

Remember, all the above is GNU. Meaning I don't take any responsibility for it and comes without any guaranty . Always, always always always (and always**50) make backups and defrag your partition before messing around with them.

Good luck!

I do have partition magic. I wonder if I resize my partition back to what it was before installing linux, without touching the grub loader, will I still be able to boot in Windows or it will affect in some way the booting process (I know of couse I won't be able to boot in Fedora .!)?
Max

Oh, another thing. Since my computer (which is a laptop) was pre-installed with Win XP, it comes with two toshiba recovery cd-roms. I am not sure they contain the Recovery Console since it asked me to backup all my data before "installing" windows.. I'll check if I can install the recovery console before.

Those recover disks sucks. Basically, instead of they give you a retail CD of Windows, they give you those backup CD's. Those backup CD's are images of your partitions. Using those disks will revert your PC back (meaning, losing all your data) to the same state of when you've purchased it.

I think this has more to do with the companies who sold you your PC, then MS itself. Since you have a valid license for Windows, download WinXP from a P2p and use your license to install it. I don't know how legal this actually is, but it's just lame to have those recover disks.

And I doubt grub will work once you simply remove the Linux partitions with partition magic. It will get all confused with the changes and will crash, making your OS non-bootable (this is a guess).

Download Windows >> >> Backup your data >> Remove Grub >> Restore the Windows bootloader.

Hey thx for the reply! Yes, in fact there's two CDs. The first one is, as you perfectly said, designed to restore the computer to its original state, which is something I don't want to do. I could make backups (I have a nice 160G external HD) but it would take quite a long time. I'll back up the main stuff I use for day-to-day operations.
The second one is more obscur. It contains 2 folders: BIN and BASE. The BIN folder contains these files followed by the BASE folder:
It seems to me like useful tools for a recovery console.. but I tried to boot from it and it could'nt.

I could ask a friend who downloaded XP with SP2 on it. After that, what do I do with the CD in hand? How do I "Remove Grub" and "Restore the Windows bootloader"? Do I first need to install the recovery console?
Thx,
Max

Cool the fixmbr command under the recovery console just worked fine! Still in windows, typing this message..!
Next, I want to resize my partition back to its original state, meaning I have to delete the linux ones (swap, boot, /, home). I have Partition Magic. What should I do? Remove all of them one by one then resize my C:\ over the new free space where the linux partitions were?

Thx,
Max

Edit: Ive deleted them all, and resized my win partition over and it works fine!

hi to all,
i haven't read all the stuff else heading that getting errors of grub, if you want to remove it from mbr, just boot system using win98 disk, and type

fdisk /mbr

Right or for Win XP, with the xp cd and in the recovery console: fixmbr
Always good to know that it worked, because I can tell I wasn't that secure about doing so ! But it worked, so if it can help some people who are feeling insecure about doing so, well it works!
Max

I have winxp home SP2, (updated from the internet) my laptop came with winxp home SP1. I would like to remove the grub bootloader for redhat 7.2, since i do not want it on this laptop anymore. My laptop came with an Operating system CD for win xp home SP1a. Can i use that to run fixmbr? OR should i get another win xp home SP2 CD? Where can i get that from?

Thx all
LJ

there are several ways to remove grub. if you have multiple partitions on your system. then delete your primary partation and then reinstall winxp -home / pro.

use fixmbr

............

Heres how you do it:
1. Sign into your account and then open up the command console and type:
net user administrator 1234
then press <ENTER>
2. Reboot and put the Windows XP disc into the CD-Rom drive, and make sure your system boots from the CD.
3. When you get a list of options either <ENTER> to install and r for recovery console, press R.
4. It'll ask you for the partition you wanna work on and then give you some choices. If you only have one Windows XP partition, then it'll have only one choice, if you have two, there'll be two choices. Anyway, choose the hard drive with the Windows XP partition that you wanna work on.
5. It'll ask you for the administrator password, type 1234 then <ENTER>
6. Type fixmbr and press <ENTER> if it asks you if you want to continue.
7.Type exit then press <ENTER>
8. Remove the Windows XP cd while the system is loading up.

And that should work. It worked for me and I hope it works for you.

I agree, fixmbr is the command to type.