[SOLVED] Viability of deleting dual-booted OS?

mintyninja41 · 09-30-2012, 04:09 PM

I am wondering what means there are of deleting a dual-booted OS once it is installed. For instance, I once successfully dual-booted Windows XP and Linux Mint 12, but I simply deleted the Mint partition via the Parted Magic Live CD. Upon reboot, I was greeted with a grub rescue terminal prompt. I could not execute any commands from this terminal. Later, after I paid to have it repaired, the person that repaired it told me that I had screwed up the Master Boot Record (MBR). Is there a way to dual-boot two OSs (ideally Windows and Linux) and then delete the Linux partition without messing up the MBR?

Thank You.
(I'm sorry if this is in the wrong forum, but I'm new to internet forum sites like LQ. If this is in the wrong area, I apologize.)

jkirchner · 09-30-2012, 04:34 PM

Yes. One just puts in the windows cd and goes to a repair screen and runs the necessary repairs on the MBR.

For windows XP: Fix MBR

And windows 7/Vista: Bootrec.exe

Both easily found with Google

TobiSGD · 09-30-2012, 04:35 PM

There are different ways to achieve that:
1. Don't let Linux install its bootloader to the MBR, install it to the Linux root partition and chainload from the Windows bootloader.
2. Do a standard dual-boot install, but repair the Windows bootloader before removing Linux. This can be done in different ways, either make a backup of the bootloader before installing Linux and restore it before you remove Linux or just use your Windows install disc to re-install the Windows bootloader when you remove Linux.

I wonder what you have paid for repairing the bootloader.

mintyninja41 · 09-30-2012, 04:55 PM

Thank you. As for the solution being "easily found with google", I posted this question because my laptop did not come with a Windows XP CD. I have Googled this previously, and the best solutions I found on Google involved the Windows CD. I should have mentioned that, I apologize. TobiSGD, in response to your query, the actual reparation wasn't terribly costly-it was diagnosing the exact nature of the problem and how to correct it that drove up the cost to about $70 from about 1/4 of that.. Thanks a ton!

TobiSGD · 09-30-2012, 06:11 PM

Wow, 70$ for a repair of that kind. Everyone who makes money with repairing computers should be able to diagnose the problem in 2 minutes and repair it in also two minutes. I wish I had that wage rate.

mintyninja41 · 10-01-2012, 02:10 PM

I don't know why... Maybe the place doesn't get a lot of business. Also, I don't remember the exact cost, but I am fairly sure it was around $70.