How to get rid of Debian/Linux install at startup

Hi
Due to the fact that Microsoft is stopping updating Windows 7 from the beginning of 2020 I thought I'd get an early start and upgraded to Windows 10 a couple of weeks ago. Everything went well, but there are a couple of thing's that I find irratating when the Win 10 starts up each time I turn it on.

Firstly, the boot screen asks me if I want to go ahead and start windows 10 or install Debian/Linux. I've searched for the Linux install on Win 10, but can't find any evidence that it even exists. Before I inslalled Win 10 I had Win 7 (64bit) and a huge hard drive (2 terabytes) and was going to install a version of Linux on a partition (300gb) and then dual boot them. But never got around to installing the Linux.

I'd like to get rid of this Linux thing and have Win 10 start up normally instead of going to a screen that needs my imput each time I turn it on.

Any help here would be gratefully recieved.

Thanks.

Fabian70 said:

Hi
Due to the fact that Microsoft is stopping updating Windows 7 from the beginning of 2020 I thought I'd get an early start and upgraded to Windows 10 a couple of weeks ago. Everything went well, but there are a couple of thing's that I find irratating when the Win 10 starts up each time I turn it on.

Firstly, the boot screen asks me if I want to go ahead and start windows 10 or install Debian/Linux. I've searched for the Linux install on Win 10, but can't find any evidence that it even exists. Before I inslalled Win 10 I had Win 7 (64bit) and a huge hard drive (2 terabytes) and was going to install a version of Linux on a partition (300gb) and then dual boot them. But never got around to installing the Linux.

I'd like to get rid of this Linux thing and have Win 10 start up normally instead of going to a screen that needs my imput each time I turn it on.

Any help here would be gratefully recieved.

Thanks.

Hi there

1) get a copy of Free Macrium and create recovery medium.
2) Backup via File explorer etc to external device -- any "User data" e,g office files, music, video, photos etc etc.
3) shrink Windows 7 partition via a partition manager to a sensible size -- shouldn't need more than around 70 GB (keep this as we will "upgrade" W10 into this partition.
3) now image that Windows partition.
5) in Diskpart simply delete the 300GB partition (diskpart-->list disk-->select disk x -->list partition -->delete partition y
6) restore W7
7) boot
8) now go for your W10 upgrade. You can clean install W10 later again -- the reason for doing the upgrade is that the FREE license still works when upgrading from W7 -- assuming it's a retail license.

Note -- always keep OS and user data on different partitions -- it's far easier also backing up and restoring windows and you don't lose user data when re-installing Windows.

Cheers
jimbo

Hello Jimbo
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post. Windows 7 is a retail licence as it came with the desktop computer back when Windows 10 was just an idea in Bill Gates brain.

I'll do all you suggest later on tonight when I havw a spare hour and let you know how it turns out if I don't bugger it up and not be able to use the computer to send emails.

As it's an old computer, you probably have a Legacy BIOS.
The screen you see on the start up asking if you want to install Linux is probably Grub boot loader.

I would like to see your partitions.
Open Disk Manager, expand the window and columns (so we can read them) and take a snapshot of the hole window and save the image to a file on the disk.
Post it here as an attachment. On the Quick Reply window, Go Advanced, click on the paper clip (top menu). On the new window select Add Files - Browse - Upload

Fabian70 said:

Hello Jimbo
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post. Windows 7 is a retail licence as it came with the desktop computer back when Windows 10 was just an idea in Bill Gates brain.

I'll do all you suggest later on tonight when I havw a spare hour and let you know how it turns out if I don't bugger it up and not be able to use the computer to send emails.

Hi there
@Fabian70
post back how you get on

Note the important thing is to have a backup copy in case it gets hosed up - if you actually re-partition the HDD that you have windows on before you start you could save the image of your "C" drive plus Windows boot etc to the new (probably "D" ) partition.

Have fun !!!

my experience with computers is that things usually take far longer than one originally estimates and often the simplest looking problems are the hardest to fix.

Just my cynical nature I suppose. I've met too many people from Yorkshire UK when taking the overnight Ferry from Hull (UK) to Europoort (Holland) for working on Oil services etc in Rotterdam and Den Haag (The Hague). However Lincoln isn't so far from the Humber Bridge !!) so maybe they are similar to Yorks people where I think I got a healthy dose of cynicism from !"!.

Cheers
jimbo

Jimbo, Fabian has already updated to Win 10.
Didn't understand your instructions.

I think he only needs to delete the Linux partition and set windows partition as active.
I need to see his Disk management image to see what he has.

https://www.dell.com/support/article...ell-pc?lang=en