I have installed Ubuntu on an XP laptop. Although it is functioning it is slow and limited by the space it is allowed. There is 100GB free so it is restricted by previous windows partitions.
How do I remove theses partitions. I do not want/need to maintain dual boot and am happy to remove XP?

If you are looking for a graphical frontend as opposed to doing this from a terminal, Gparted is a good choice. Just be very careful or you may delete the wrong partition

You may be better off just doing a fresh install, and let the installer use the whole disk, of course backup any important data first.

Neville G B,

Welcome to LQ.

You will find that a lightweight Linux OS like antiX-16 will fly on your older laptop instead of crawling like Ubuntu:
http://antix.mepis.org/index.php?title=Main_Page

BACKUP all your data first!!

Installation video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8Aw2zzBE-g

Download the antiX-16_386-full.iso (32 bit) version from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8Aw2zzBE-g

NB You may prefer the installation video guide for antiX-15 which has informative dialogue instead of just a musical accompaniment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9kRoXliH9s

I'd agree with this, and it's usually what I recommend when people ask the OP's question. Unless you have a ton of time involved in customizing the OS, compiling tons of software, etc.. it's just an easier solution to reinstall.

You'd be amazed how fast you can go from a new install to having things back the way you wanted them. For me personally... I've used XFCE so long, as soon as I boot a new installation I know what to uninstall and what I want to install.

Hello and welcome to LQ.

I agree with the suggestions above basically.

One could reclaim space but could cause some other issues. If you insist then be sure to backup your important data off the machine. Run a live cd/dvd/usb and use gparted to delete windows and move linux partitions.

mw, I use Gparted, delete the partition in question. then make it the same linux type I am using then merge it into the exiting partition.

update-grub to remove any entries dealing with any other OS's that are no longer there.

depending on how you have your Linux system parted out if / and /home is on the same partition then I'd boot using a live ISO that has Gparted because you have to unmount the partitions.

I'm not knocking gparted being run from a live CD etc, I use it myself and I think it's a great peice of software, but using it to move/shrink/grow partitions is reeeeaaaalllyyy sllllooooooowww, it realy is much faster to do do a new install, depending on as has been said how much you have mod'ed your install.

@Keith Hedger Good point. I have said the same many times - it is faster to just re-install the OS. But at least the OP now knows he has options, if he did not part it in two / and /home and wants to save what he has in /home he might just want to make a pot of coffee and rent a movie if he has a lot of data to be moved and let Gparted to its thing.


this time that is spoken of too all depends on the CPU and data throughput of the MOBO (MOtherBOard) / by amount of data to be moved.

on another thought:

he too could (depending on space he has to work with) move things around and make a separate /home move his home data into it then proceed to get rid of Windows and take control of it and place it into Linux.

Thanks to you all, very useful. I am new to Linux but not to computers. Many years ago I was using a DOS based system. Although I became brain washed by windows I always longed to go back. Now retired I can please myself. Thanks for the help.