How to Uninstall the Grub Bootloader from a Dual Boot XP System With an XP CD

After installing a version of Linux on a computer that already has Windows XP on it, the GRUB bootloader will be usually installed to make selecting between operating systems easier. When Linux is uninstalled from the dual boot system later, however, it may be necessary to uninstall the grub bootloader and return the system back to the standard Windows boot procedure. This can be done rather easily with an XP CD and a few simple commands.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Insert the XP CD into an empty CD-ROM drive, with the computer running.

2. Restart the computer, but first, ensure that all of your important files have been backed up. Removing the GRUB bootloader has the potential to render the computer unable to boot, though this is very rare if the uninstall is done correctly.

3. Press a button on the keyboard when the computer displays “Press any key to boot from the CD.” If you do not see this message, you will have to enter the BIOS of the computer, and change the boot priority so that the CD-ROM is booted before the hard drives. It may take a few minutes for the CD to boot, at which time there will be a set of installation and repair options.

4. Type “R” on the keyboard to enter the recovery console. In a few moments, the computer will display a black screen with white text listing the Windows installations that were found on the computer. Normally there will be only one, and it will be listed as “1-C:\windows.”

5. Press the number corresponding to the current Windows XP installation, and press “Enter.” The computer will then ask for the administrator’s password.

6. Insert the correct password and press “Enter,” or simply press “Enter” if there is no password. A command prompt will then appear, similar to the DOS prompt of older computers.

7. Type “FIXMBR” at the prompt, and press “Enter.”

8. Press the letter “Y” when the program warns you about non-standard partitions and asks you if you would like to continue. In this step, the program on the XP CD will uninstall the GRUB bootloader, by overwriting it with the original Windows bootloader.

9. Type “EXIT” at the command prompt, press "Enter," and the computer will reboot.

10. Ignore the message about booting from CD, and do not press any keys. The computer should boot straight into Windows XP. Remove the Windows XP CD as soon as possible. The GRUB bootloader has now been successfully uninstalled.

Tips & Warnings

• Check the computer's documentation before changing anything in the BIOS, or damage to the system may occur.