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Update: I have resolved one of my problems myself, but still need help to delete a partition. I left the original post intact in case someone has a similar issue and can quickly reference this post.

Original Message: I have uninstalled Ubuntu from my main machine, but am having difficulty restoring the boot back to the Windows 8.1 default.

I followed a guide from http://itsfoss.com/uninstall-ubuntu-linux-windows-dual-boot/ but I could not complete all the steps entirely. There was a single partition (which exists on my sole disk, with my C: volume) that I cannot delete (type *:SYSTEM) because, according to Windows, it is currently in use. I then followed the rest of the guide having skipped deleting that one partition.

Now, however, I find that whenever I restart my machine, it boots to a "minimal" version of grub were I can enter some basic commands. If I type exit twice (for some reason there is always an error the first time) it exits Grub and proceeds to boot like it normally should.

What I have tried:

  • Using Windows Disk Management to remove it (results in the error stating the partition is in use)
  • Using AOEMEI Partition Assistant Edition 5.6 (the option is grey)
  • Contemplated using the 'clean' command in 'diskpart' after selecting the partition as my focus. But every source I found said that 'cean' cleans the entirety of the selected disk, not the actual focus.
  • Repairing Windows from the installation flash drive I made
  • Praying to the Old Gods
  • Tried finding some way to delete the disk from the command prompt at boot, but to no avail.
  • Revisited diskpart and used 'delete partition override' but received an error iterating what the Disk Manager said.

Any help/instructions would be greatly appreciated at this point.

Here are some images of my partitions:

From Windows Disk Management:

http://i.imgur.com/Yet7vOf.jpg

From the aforementioned AOMEI Software:

http://i.imgur.com/ersUYuG.jpg

The partition I've been trying to delete is the partition without a File System (Windows Disk Management) which is the one listed as *:System with File System FAT32 in AOMEI. Thank You.

edit: some edits for formatting, adding pictures, and one for an update message at the top.

Zackary
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  • Just fixed the issue of bootng into grub by changing the boot preferences in the BIOS, but I would still like to resolve the issue of not being able to delete the partition – Zackary May 21 '15 at 04:59
  • It would be useful to have a complete inventory of all partitions. Without knowing which partition you are trying to delete and the content of that partition, any advice could be harmful to your system. – RCF May 24 '15 at 03:32
  • Here are two screenshots. One is from the aforementioned AOMEI software, and one from the windows disk management. http://i.imgur.com/Yet7vOf.jpg http://i.imgur.com/ersUYuG.jpg – Zackary May 24 '15 at 18:24
  • That is the system EFI partition and you should not delete that partition. The Windows bootloader is on that partition and is required by Windows. – RCF May 24 '15 at 19:50
  • With UEFI, it has NVRAM so it saves boot entries. And the efi or ESP has multiple folders, one for each system you boot. So you must delete ubuntu folder from ESP first or else UEFI will keep adding it. Do not delete any other folders in ESP. Then you can remove ubuntu entry in UEFI. http://askubuntu.com/questions/63610/how-do-i-remove-ubuntu-in-the-bios-boot-menu-uefi – oldfred May 24 '15 at 20:58
  • I thought it didn't matter if I deleted the bootloader so long as I have a Windows Installation Drive? That way I could just 'add' back in the proper boot loader. – Zackary May 25 '15 at 03:15

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