How to remove Linux from dual-boot setup alongside Windows

To safely remove Linux from a dual-boot setup using Windows 11 (or 10), you must first access WinRE to start the device in the UEFI firmware settings and change the boot manager from Linux to Windows.
The next step is to boot into Windows, delete the partition containing the Linux installation, and either extend or create a new partition using the unallocated space.
The third step is to delete the Linux boot manager from the Windows system partition and then remove the Linux Grub entry from the UEFI firmware.

If you have a dual-boot system using a Linux distribution (such as Ubuntu, Mint, or Fedora) and Windows 11 (or 10), but it’s now time to remove the Linux installation to revert to a single boot using only Windows, this is possible, but it’s not a straightforward process.

Setting up a dual-boot configuration with Linux and Windows isn’t complicated. You have to shrink the Windows partition or use a secondary drive to install Linux. However, if you no longer need the Linux installation, you have to complete several steps, including switching the bootloader in the UEFI firmware settings, deleting the partition with the Linux distro, relocating the unallocated space, modifying the Windows recovery partition to remove the Linux bootloader and changing the UEFI settings to remove the Linux bootloader entry.

In this guide, I’ll outline the steps to safely uninstall or remove the Linux installation from a dual-boot system alongside Windows 11 or 10.

Warning: It’s important to note that you will be modifying the system partitions, which can carry some risks if not corrected. Creating a full computer backup before proceeding in case you need to roll back is still recommended. Also, to avoid potential problems, it’s recommended to disable BitLocker before proceeding. You can turn encryption on again after reconfiguring the system.

Remove Linux from dual-boot setup (safely)

To remove Linux from a dual-boot system to start with the Windows 11 (or 10) boot manager, use these steps:

Start the computer on Windows.
Open Settings.
Click on System.
Click the Recovery page.
Click the Restart now button from the “Advanced startup” section.

Quick note: On Windows 10, the option is available on Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
Click the Restart button again.
Click on Troubleshoot.
Click on Advanced options.
Click the “UEFI Firmware Settings” option.
Click the Restart button.
Open the setup page.

Quick note: I’m using the UEFI (BIOS) available with VMware. Since most manufacturers build their firmware experience differently, you may have to check their documentation to find the boot order settings.
Open the “Configure boot options” page.
Click the “Change boot order” option.
Change the boot order to make the Windows Boot Manager the first option and Linux the second option.
Save the changes and exit to restart the computer on Windows 11 (or 10).
Open Start.
Search for Create and format hard disk partitions and select the top result to open the Disk Management tool.

Quick note: You can also use the “Disks & Volumes” page from the Settings app, but in this case, I’m using “Disk Management” since it’s available on both Windows 10 and 11.
Confirm the partition containing the Linux setup in dual-boot.

Quick tip: The best way to identify the correct partition is to remember the size you assigned to the volume. Also, it’ll probably be the one without a drive letter without a file system label or label from a Linux file system. However, don’t remove the “Healthy (EFI System)” or “Healthy (Recovery Partition)” since these are partitions in the Windows setup.
Right-click the partition and select the Delete Volume option.
Click the Yes button to confirm.
(Optional) Right-click the Unallocated space and choose the Extend Volume.

Quick tip: If the smaller recovery partition is on the way to the main “C” partition, you won’t be able to extend the partition. You will have to use third-party software, such as GParted, or you will have to create a secondary partition.
Click the Next button.
Confirm the volume information.
Click the Next button.
Click the Finish button.
Open Start.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and choose the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to launch the DiskPart tool and press Enter:
```
DiskPart
```
Type the following command to view the available drives and press Enter:
```
List Disk
```
Type the following command to select the primary drive and press Enter:
```
Select Disk 0
```
Type the following command to list the partitions and press Enter:
```
List Partition
```
Type the following command to select the “System” partition and press Enter:
```
Select Partition 1
```
In the command, change “1” to the number corresponding to your “System” partition.
Type the following command to mount the storage with a drive letter and press Enter:
```
Assign Letter=E
```
Quick note: You can assign virtually any drive letter that hasn’t already been taken.
Type the following command to exit from DiskPart and press Enter:
```
Exit
```
Type the following command to enter the new system drive and press Enter:
```
E:
```
Type the following command to access the boot manager configuration and press Enter:
```
CD efi
```
Type the following command to view the boot manager options, identify the Linux bootloader, and press Enter:
```
Dir
```
Type the following command to remove the Linux boot manager from your computer and press Enter:
```
RD ubuntu /s
```
In the command, change “ubuntu” to the name of the Linux bootloader installed on your computer.
Type the “Y” key and press Enter.
Type the following command to confirm the Linux bootloader has been deleted and press Enter:
```
Dir
```
Type the following command to launch the DiskPart tool and press Enter:
```
DiskPart
```
Type the following command to view the available volumes and press Enter:
```
List Volume
```
Type the following command to select the volume with the letter to delete and press Enter:
```
Select Volume 4
```
Type the following command to remove the drive letter and press Enter:
```
Remove Letter=E
```
Type the following command to exit from DiskPart and press Enter:
```
Exit
```
Open Settings.
Click on System.
Click the Recovery page.
Click the Restart now button from the “Advanced startup” section.
Click the Restart button again.
Click on Troubleshoot.
Click on Advanced options.
Click the “UEFI Firmware Settings” option.
Click the Restart button.
Open the setup page.
Open the “Configure boot options” page.
Click the “Delete boot option” setting.
Choose the Linux Grub entry to remove from the UEFI (in my case, Ubuntu).
Save the changes to the delete entry and exit to restart the computer on Windows 11 (or 10).

Once you complete the steps, you will have successfully removed Linux from the dual-boot setup, and now, Windows should start correctly in a single-boot setup.

You may also use the bcdedit with the “enum” option to delete the Linux bootloader from the dual-boot setup, but while creating this guide, the Ubuntu entry did not show up in the list of bootloaders. As a result, I opted to mount the recovery drive and delete the entry manually.

Although it’s possible to revert to a single boot system, ideally, you want to restore the previous configuration from a backup or perform a clean install of Windows 11 to ensure the stability and reliability of the system.

If you have any questions or problems uninstalling Linux from your dual-boot setup, leave me a comment below.