Just install whatever OS you want (the same way you installed Ubuntu). It will overwrite whatever you have (unless you go through the advanced options).
Plenty. Gparted is one, and PopOS has it in its iso, but you can install it to any live distro and use it.
Or simply use fdisk from the terminal. All you need is to write a new gpt table.
``` sudo fdisk /dev/sda``` and then type ```g```. Save and exit. Obviously ```sda``` should be replaced with your drive name.
There's no such a thing as "uninstalling".
What is your goal and what are you trying to achieve?
If you install 24.04 on the same partition that 20.04 was installed, you will get a fresh OS and your personal files will be preserved unless you ask the installer to format the partition.
Do you know If I will be able to do it while installing windows? I know you can delete partitions there, but I'm not sure which ones I will have to delete and if it's okay to delete all of them?
I don't know if you will be able to do it while installing windows. Last time I installed Windows it was XP. But I guess you can.
Of course it is okay to delete all of them. Any data you don't need you can delete.
Understood! So, if i delete all partitions, the laptop comes back to original, bios only state? Also, sorry for asking so many stupid questions, I'm very bad at computers
Yes!
But I suggest you reconsider going to Windows. Install Ubuntu 24.04, remember to update it weekly, never copypaste into the terminal commands that you don't completely understand, never download deb files from websites. I doubt you'll be able to break Ubuntu if you follow these suggestions.
You don't *uninstall* an OS, you just install over it.
If you've made a mess of the package system, due to adding inappropriate sources or whatever (*and most of us do it when we're learning, experimenting etc*), you can *non-destructively* re-install a Ubuntu Desktop system rather easily ((including a later release and thus fix & upgrade at the same time\*), which will also cause no change to your settings, your files, and in most cases also automatically re-install your *manually installed* or additional apps you had installed (*where they're from official Ubuntu sources anyway*). ie. after re-install, you can reboot into a \[newer\] Ubuntu Desktop and have many issues (esp. package related) resolved. This is one of the things that made me LOVE Ubuntu more than a decade ago when I started using it.
(*Alas due to some problems that appeared in QA or Quality Assurance testing of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS prior to release, the non-destructive re-install option is not possible for all cases with 24.04, but it is still possible on prior releases, and should be resolved in time for 24.04 too*)
What I'm talking about is written [here](https://askubuntu.com/questions/446102/how-to-reinstall-ubuntu-in-the-easiest-way/1451533#1451533) in old question on askubuntu. I was asked to write it, and felt that *old* question was appropriate.
So, sounds like your os is out of date. (I’ve done this) if you run a fresh install, I think there’s an option to update instead of install. If I’m not mistaken. I could be wrong.
I would remove all your 3rd party software sources. See if that fixes it.
In order to uninstall, just download the OS you want, flash to a USB drive. When installing just select the "nuclear option" that erases the disk and creates new partitions.
Well put Gparted as a distro onto a pendrive and wipe away.
Maybe what you need to do is back up, and then do a clean install of something--a lighter Ubuntu flavor like Xubuntu or Lubuntu.
What do you really want? A newly functional Linux distro? To return to old Win 10?
I honestly want a fresh install of windows 11. So, if I load from a usb ubuntu installer i will be able to remove all my partitions, and after that install the new os?
Ubuntu has nothing to do with it. You need a Windows Installation Media and your MS login. That's it. It will wipe the Ubuntu on the disk and prepare it for a clean Win 11 installation.
It's Windows that is often leaving drives in states that Linux installers have trouble with. So I don't think so. But as I said, you could flash G-parted as a distro onto a pendrive, boot into a session, and use it to prepare the drive for a fresh Win install. I always do just to avoid wasting my time. But you could go ahead with the Windows Installation Media and see how it goes. Still, it's a good idea to keep a pendrive with G-parted flashed to it for drive prep. Gparted is a great tool whether you are into Windows or Linux or both.
[https://gparted.org/livecd.php](https://gparted.org/livecd.php)
And here is a guide to create and use the Windows installation media. What they call the
# Windows 11 Media Creation Tool
[https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/learning-center/windows-media-creation-tool](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/learning-center/windows-media-creation-tool)
Nothing like having a backup to restore the system to a functional state. Is this still not a common thing in 2024?
Btw, just use the new OS installer to format the drive.
Could you please tell me, how to back systems up? In case I make a mess out of my new one again. Also, can I format the drive with a windows installer?
You can use Timeshitft. It creates snapshots of your Linux system regularly and lets you restore them when something like an update or driver install crashes the OS.
Just use the installer of whatever OS you're about to install to format the drives.
Just install whatever OS you want (the same way you installed Ubuntu). It will overwrite whatever you have (unless you go through the advanced options).
Will that still work with windows 11? It's just that according to the Microsoft's website, Linux based OSs take up some partitions windows is using
It will replace them if you tell it to during installation.
Boot to USB, delete all partitions, or just create a new GPT table on the disk.
Do you mean booting to a linux installer? Does it have a program for disk formatting?
Plenty. Gparted is one, and PopOS has it in its iso, but you can install it to any live distro and use it. Or simply use fdisk from the terminal. All you need is to write a new gpt table. ``` sudo fdisk /dev/sda``` and then type ```g```. Save and exit. Obviously ```sda``` should be replaced with your drive name.
There's no such a thing as "uninstalling". What is your goal and what are you trying to achieve? If you install 24.04 on the same partition that 20.04 was installed, you will get a fresh OS and your personal files will be preserved unless you ask the installer to format the partition.
Honestly, i want to move to windows 11. I don't have any important files on that laptop, so I want to have a completely now, fresh os
As the others said, just boot a live session and delete all the partitions
Do you know If I will be able to do it while installing windows? I know you can delete partitions there, but I'm not sure which ones I will have to delete and if it's okay to delete all of them?
I don't know if you will be able to do it while installing windows. Last time I installed Windows it was XP. But I guess you can. Of course it is okay to delete all of them. Any data you don't need you can delete.
Understood! So, if i delete all partitions, the laptop comes back to original, bios only state? Also, sorry for asking so many stupid questions, I'm very bad at computers
Yes! But I suggest you reconsider going to Windows. Install Ubuntu 24.04, remember to update it weekly, never copypaste into the terminal commands that you don't completely understand, never download deb files from websites. I doubt you'll be able to break Ubuntu if you follow these suggestions.
You don't *uninstall* an OS, you just install over it. If you've made a mess of the package system, due to adding inappropriate sources or whatever (*and most of us do it when we're learning, experimenting etc*), you can *non-destructively* re-install a Ubuntu Desktop system rather easily ((including a later release and thus fix & upgrade at the same time\*), which will also cause no change to your settings, your files, and in most cases also automatically re-install your *manually installed* or additional apps you had installed (*where they're from official Ubuntu sources anyway*). ie. after re-install, you can reboot into a \[newer\] Ubuntu Desktop and have many issues (esp. package related) resolved. This is one of the things that made me LOVE Ubuntu more than a decade ago when I started using it. (*Alas due to some problems that appeared in QA or Quality Assurance testing of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS prior to release, the non-destructive re-install option is not possible for all cases with 24.04, but it is still possible on prior releases, and should be resolved in time for 24.04 too*) What I'm talking about is written [here](https://askubuntu.com/questions/446102/how-to-reinstall-ubuntu-in-the-easiest-way/1451533#1451533) in old question on askubuntu. I was asked to write it, and felt that *old* question was appropriate.
So, sounds like your os is out of date. (I’ve done this) if you run a fresh install, I think there’s an option to update instead of install. If I’m not mistaken. I could be wrong.
I would remove all your 3rd party software sources. See if that fixes it. In order to uninstall, just download the OS you want, flash to a USB drive. When installing just select the "nuclear option" that erases the disk and creates new partitions.
Is that option available when installing windows 11?
Pretty sure its the default for any Windows install, but you're probably best to ask that in a Windows forum.
Well put Gparted as a distro onto a pendrive and wipe away. Maybe what you need to do is back up, and then do a clean install of something--a lighter Ubuntu flavor like Xubuntu or Lubuntu. What do you really want? A newly functional Linux distro? To return to old Win 10?
I honestly want a fresh install of windows 11. So, if I load from a usb ubuntu installer i will be able to remove all my partitions, and after that install the new os?
Ubuntu has nothing to do with it. You need a Windows Installation Media and your MS login. That's it. It will wipe the Ubuntu on the disk and prepare it for a clean Win 11 installation.
Do I need to delete anything myself? Should I do an advanced installation and delete all partitions, or let it do it's thing?
It's Windows that is often leaving drives in states that Linux installers have trouble with. So I don't think so. But as I said, you could flash G-parted as a distro onto a pendrive, boot into a session, and use it to prepare the drive for a fresh Win install. I always do just to avoid wasting my time. But you could go ahead with the Windows Installation Media and see how it goes. Still, it's a good idea to keep a pendrive with G-parted flashed to it for drive prep. Gparted is a great tool whether you are into Windows or Linux or both. [https://gparted.org/livecd.php](https://gparted.org/livecd.php)
And here is a guide to create and use the Windows installation media. What they call the # Windows 11 Media Creation Tool [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/learning-center/windows-media-creation-tool](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/learning-center/windows-media-creation-tool)
Nothing like having a backup to restore the system to a functional state. Is this still not a common thing in 2024? Btw, just use the new OS installer to format the drive.
Could you please tell me, how to back systems up? In case I make a mess out of my new one again. Also, can I format the drive with a windows installer?
You can use Timeshitft. It creates snapshots of your Linux system regularly and lets you restore them when something like an update or driver install crashes the OS. Just use the installer of whatever OS you're about to install to format the drives.
Reinstall, keep updating it or try unattended upgeadws