Ubuntu 9.10 grub.cfg

[ronharries]

Upon a recommendation of a friend, I loaded Linux, Ubuntu 9.10 onto my laptop and desktop as a dual boot. I soon realized that the laptop was not working well as a dual boot a tried to remove it. Finding that to be impossibly, l ended up trying to change the boot default. Pressing “e”, when the menu comes up does not give me access to the default area of the script. So, following some instructions I found, I tried to do a full edit of the script. This went fine until I tried to save my work. I could not save.
Finally, in desperation, I tried to delete the grub.cfg file. I received a message saying “you cannot delete this file as you do not own it”. Somehow I’ve always believed, and been under the delusion that I owned my computer, and within the legal document I agreed to, I owned everything on it. That which is on my computer that I can’t remove is usually referred to as a “virus”.
In short, will some one please tell me how to get rid of Ubuntu 9.10 or at least change the default load system. Please give me control of my computer back
Ron Harries
Salmon Arm, BC
rharries@telus.net

[oz]

Welcome to the forums!

If your Windows install disk will not restore the Windows bootloader because GRUB resides on it, you can clear the MBR only, leaving the partition tables if you will use a Linux liveCD to go to a terminal and run the following command:

sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda bs=446 count=1

To clear the MBR and the partition tables, you can run this command:

sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda bs=512 count=1

If needed, you can use the fdisk -l command to determine your device name:

fdisk -l

If you use a Linux liveCD that doesn't use sudo, you can remove the sudo part of each command.

After clearing the MBR, you should be able to use your Windows installation disk to restore the Windows bootloader.

[Outcast_Aussie]

Mr Harries.

The "Your not the owner" message means your not running in administrator mode. This is what makes Linux more secure than a default installation of windows.

Of course if you don't know how to put your administrators hat on then your stumped aren't you!

As a windows user you will be used to graphical ways of doing stuff, so.... to change the default boot order here's the gui way

Look at top left of screen

System is the menu you want
Click it and then select Administration and scroll down to synaptic, click it.

enter your login password at the prompt :

Type Startup Manager in the search box and tick the box to select. then click apply.



Bingo, you just installed it. Now look how easy it is to just copy & paste that whole rigmarole into a Terminal

 sudo apt-get install startup-manager

Ok.. Lets run Startup manager

The launcher is in System/Adminstration

Your'll get a window like this



Just click the default boot option and select your windows choice

Job sorted.

Of course, if you want to remove Ubuntu you can always boot with the live cd, go into partition manager and remove the linux partitions but be aware... Windows will no longer autoboot because the bootloader has been overwritten (and you just wiped grub). So you will need your original windows disk to re-install the windows bootloader or download UBCD or similar

Link ------------ >UBCD for Windows

[Outcast_Aussie]

Btw..

To wear your admin hat to do stuff "graphically" then simply press Alt & F2

enter ( copy & paste this in the pop up window)

gksudo nautilus

be CAREFUL You now have da powa

[ronharries]

Outcast Aussie

Thank you very much for your help. Most of what you suggested went well. Well enough that I will probably keep Linux on both my machines

I started with computers back in the late 1970s. Then , of course, everything was done from the command line. I got away from them (computers) for 10 years when I retired and then when I bought my own computer about 2000 everything had dancing paper clips etc. Working with the command line now is much more interesting.

However, don't be surprised if you see another of my lame posts to this group asking for help.

Ron Harries
Shuswapian