Dual Boot, What if I want back

[urinsan3]

Hello, new here. Obviously << 1 post now after this :]. Anyways, a few months ago I experimented with 5 or so distros and decided i enjoyed Ubuntu's experience the most. Of course the laptop is my families and I didn't feel like having my dad flip out because he doesn't know what Linux is or anything. anyways, my laptop crashed a few days ago ( best guess is rootkit got on it somehow, anyways my xp media center keeps BSOD ) At school right now, but my desktop is currently downloading the ISO from my xp CD that my brother had and sent me. So I'll be reinstalling that. After that though I was planning on installing Ubuntu on a separate partition. But just wondering, if I decide against it in the future will there be anyway to remove the OS without harming the windows partition?

Thanks,
- TJ

[superm1]

Hello, new here. Obviously << 1 post now after this :]. Anyways, a few months ago I experimented with 5 or so distros and decided i enjoyed Ubuntu's experience the most. Of course the laptop is my families and I didn't feel like having my dad flip out because he doesn't know what Linux is or anything. anyways, my laptop crashed a few days ago ( best guess is rootkit got on it somehow, anyways my xp media center keeps BSOD ) At school right now, but my desktop is currently downloading the ISO from my xp CD that my brother had and sent me. So I'll be reinstalling that. After that though I was planning on installing Ubuntu on a separate partition. But just wondering, if I decide against it in the future will there be anyway to remove the OS without harming the windows partition?

Thanks,
- TJ
Wubi

[urinsan3]

Wubi?

Welcome ubuntu ... that's all i got. If that's even close.

[notwen]

http://wubi-installer.org/

This should help. =]

[urinsan3]

Ha, and of course my school's network blocks it. I'll take a look at it once I get home. Thanks. By the way, no insult to Ubuntu if I end up uninstalling it. It would only be if it seems to, powerdriven for me I guess you could say, or professional :p. I'd probably just mess around in it for learning purposes anyways. And for a backup OS when my comp decides to BSOD again.

[theozzlives]

WUBI = Windows UBuntu Installer, it's a way of installing Ubuntu in Windows. If you don't like it, Add/Remove Programs. Just put the CD in with Windows running.

[urinsan3]

Oh. Well I wasn't planning on doing something like that. I actually wanted to partition my hd and install Ubuntu as a secondary OS. I'm saying would I be able to remove it after that. I'm guessing I would be able to just by putting in the live cd and booting to that, that it would have the option but i'm not entirely sure.

[theozzlives]

Oh. Well I wasn't planning on doing something like that. I actually wanted to partition my hd and install Ubuntu as a secondary OS. I'm saying would I be able to remove it after that. I'm guessing I would be able to just by putting in the live cd and booting to that, that it would have the option but i'm not entirely sure.

You put the live CD in when Windows is running, but if you feel confident enough, install Windows and only use half your drive. Then boot live CD and install Ubuntu (best way to go).

I put WUBI on my mom's computer cause she likes Soduku and Windows don't have it (I'm also hoping she'll like Ubuntu better).

[notwen]

Oh. Well I wasn't planning on doing something like that. I actually wanted to partition my hd and install Ubuntu as a secondary OS. I'm saying would I be able to remove it after that. I'm guessing I would be able to just by putting in the live cd and booting to that, that it would have the option but i'm not entirely sure.

Perhaps try Ubuntu using Wubi before risking your family's data/machine w/ partitioning/installing Ubuntu. Why risk it, if you don't end up liking it. =]

[urinsan3]

Because there's no data to risk as I'm reformatting anyways to reinstall windows :] might as well have some fun messing around with the computer while it's cleared up

[armandh]

a live GUI partition editor such as parted magic works great.

you can really see what is going on

nothing is perfect...always back up!