How to Remove Dual Boot Ubuntu from Windows 11 (Safely)

If you dual-booted Ubuntu with Windows 11 and no longer need it, you can remove Ubuntu, reclaim its disk space for Windows, and get rid of the GRUB boot menu. There are two parts: deleting Ubuntu’s partitions and removing its boot entry. The order matters, because done wrong, the PC can stop booting. This guide walks through the safe order step by step, plus how to fix a “grub rescue” screen and how to uninstall Ubuntu if it was installed through WSL instead.

Quick Answer

In Windows 11, set Windows Boot Manager as the first boot option in your BIOS/UEFI. Then open an administrator Command Prompt, run mountvol S: /S, and delete the Ubuntu boot folder with rmdir /s S:\EFI\ubuntu. Finally, open Disk Management, delete Ubuntu’s partitions, and extend C: into the free space.

Before You Start

• Back up any files you want from Ubuntu. Boot into Ubuntu and copy them to a USB drive or cloud storage first.
• Have a Windows 11 installation USB ready in case you need to repair booting.
• BitLocker: save your recovery key. Changing boot settings may trigger a recovery key prompt.
• These steps assume a modern UEFI PC, which covers essentially all Windows 11 PCs.

Step 1: Make Windows Boot Manager the Default

1. Restart and enter BIOS/UEFI setup (often F2, Del, F10, or Esc). From Windows, you can also go to Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings.
2. In the Boot section, move Windows Boot Manager to the top, above “ubuntu.”
3. Save and exit. The PC should boot straight into Windows without the GRUB menu.

Step 2: Remove Ubuntu’s Boot Files

1. In Windows, open Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Run mountvol S: /S to give the EFI System Partition the drive letter S:.
3. Run dir S:\EFI. You should see folders like Microsoft, Boot, and ubuntu.
4. Run rmdir /s S:\EFI\ubuntu and confirm with Y. Delete only the ubuntu folder. Never delete Microsoft or Boot.
5. Run mountvol S: /D to remove the drive letter.

You can also remove the leftover “ubuntu” entry from the UEFI boot list. Many firmware setups let you delete boot options directly. Otherwise, it disappears or becomes harmless once the folder is gone.

Step 3: Delete Ubuntu’s Partitions

1. Right-click Start and open Disk Management.
2. Identify Ubuntu’s partitions. They usually have no drive letter, show as “Healthy (Primary Partition)” with no file system Windows recognizes, and match the sizes you gave Ubuntu (including a swap partition if one exists).
3. Right-click each Ubuntu partition and choose Delete Volume, then Yes.

Do not delete the EFI System Partition, the Recovery partition, or C:.

Step 4: Give the Space Back to Windows

1. In Disk Management, right-click C: and choose Extend Volume.
2. Follow the wizard to add the unallocated space.

Extend Volume is greyed out? The free space must be directly to the right of C:. If a Recovery partition sits between them, create a new volume in the free space instead (New Simple Volume), or use a trusted partition tool to move the recovery partition.

Fix “grub rescue” or a PC That Won’t Boot

1. Boot from the Windows 11 installation USB.
2. Choose Next > Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Command Prompt.
3. Run bcdboot C:\Windows /f UEFI. If C: isn’t the Windows drive in this environment, use diskpart and list vol to find the right letter.
4. Restart, remove the USB, and set Windows Boot Manager first in the BIOS.

If Ubuntu Was Installed Through WSL (Not Dual Boot)

If you ran Ubuntu inside Windows with WSL, there are no partitions or GRUB to remove:

• Run wsl --unregister Ubuntu in PowerShell to delete the distribution and its files. This permanently removes everything inside it, so back up first.
• Then uninstall Ubuntu from Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
• Optionally, remove WSL itself with wsl --uninstall.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will removing Ubuntu delete my Windows files?

No, as long as you only delete Ubuntu’s partitions and the ubuntu EFI folder.

How do I tell which partition is Ubuntu?

Ubuntu partitions have no drive letter and don’t show NTFS or FAT32 as their file system. Match them to the sizes you chose during the Ubuntu install.

Is this the same on Windows 10?

Yes. See our guide to uninstalling Ubuntu on Windows 10 for the Windows 10 version.

Summary

1. Back up Ubuntu files and set Windows Boot Manager first in BIOS.
2. Mount the EFI partition and delete only the ubuntu folder.
3. Delete Ubuntu’s partitions in Disk Management.
4. Extend C: into the free space.
5. Repair booting with bcdboot from a Windows USB if needed.