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Thread: return windows 7 to normal

  1. #1
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    return windows 7 to normal

    I installed ubuntu on a friend's netbook and she hated it because it was not windows. ARRRGH! I want to get this woman's computer out of my life, but first I need to undo any changes I have made.

    I would like to remove the ubuntu partitions (that's easy) and restore the windows 7 mbr (that;s the problem). I do not have a bootdisk, since the netbook came without one, but I do not want to reformat windows using the restore partition, either, since I hate windows with a passion and do not want to have to install any programs for her. what can I do to get the system back to its original state before the ubuntu installer overwrote her MBR?

  2. #2
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    Re: return windows 7 to normal

    Just because computers today come without install media, MS has released repair CDs. You can use it to repair the boot process, but not for a full install. That's why it's legal to download it.
    http://neosmart.net/blog/2009/window...-repair-discs/

    Don't touch the ubuntu partition yet. Boot with the win7 repair cd and fix the boot process. Once the computer can boot win7 directly and is working fine, just use Disk Management in win7 to delete the ubuntu partition(s) and extend the win7 partition, or simply create new ntfs partition from that space.
    Darko.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 64bit

  3. #3
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    Re: return windows 7 to normal

    sweet! thank you darko! the only problem is, its a netbook, it doesn;t have a CD reader. will this work with a USB key, too?

  4. #4
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    Re: return windows 7 to normal

    Quote Originally Posted by brallan View Post
    sweet! thank you darko! the only problem is, its a netbook, it doesn;t have a CD reader. will this work with a USB key, too?
    Oops slipped my mind. Yes it can, with few extra steps to make the usb bootable.

    Unpack the ISO, and open command prompt in windows and go inside the boot folder of the unpacked ISO. From there issue a command to make the stick bootable first:

    bootsect.exe /nt60 X:

    where X: is the stick letter. That should make it bootable. After that just copy all files from the unpacked ISO onto the stick.

    It should boot and work fine.
    Darko.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 64bit

  5. #5
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    Re: return windows 7 to normal

    ok, got the file downloaded and unpacked, but i get an error when I run the command bootsect.exe /nt60 D:

    'bootsect.exe' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

    is the bootsect program one that came with the ISO? maybe its inside a folder somewhere? the iso had one file (bootmgr) and two folders (boot & sources)

  6. #6
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    Re: return windows 7 to normal

    It should be in boot. I said go inside the boot folder and execute...

    It should be there, check. And you can only execute it if you are inside the folder, for example the command prompt would be:

    C:\path\boot
    Darko.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 64bit

  7. #7
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    Re: return windows 7 to normal

    thanks so much for your patience. inside the boot folder there are only the files:

    bcd
    boot.sdi
    bootfix.bin

    is it bootfix.bin?

    maybe i can just make it bootable from within ubuntu and copy the files over. any reason that won't work?

  8. #8
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    Re: return windows 7 to normal

    It seems bootrec is included only on the full install dvd.

    Basically you can make the usb stick bootable anyway you can/know. And after copying the files from the image there, just boot the bootmgr file.

    For example I have a stick created with grub4dos and in the menu.lst it just says:

    title Win7
    uuid xxxxxx
    chainloader /bootmgr

    The problem with creating the stick from ubuntu is that I don't know the exact steps. If you just plug it in and install grub/grub2 to the MBR, the config files for that grub will be in your hdd ubuntu so it won't work booting on its own.
    Darko.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 64bit

  9. #9
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    Re: return windows 7 to normal

    great! i found an easy way to do it, which is to use unetbootin! :

    http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

  10. #10
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    Re: return windows 7 to normal

    when you get to a screen which gives you these options:

    startup repair (Useless: does not detect a problem with windows 7)
    system restore
    system image recovery
    windows memory diagnostic
    command prompt

    you will:

    choose command prompt, then type the following

    bootrec.exe /fixmbr

    that should do the trick!

    then all you need to do is use the native windows disk utility to repartition.

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