How To fix a computer that automatically boots into GNU GRUB with no other options

When you power on your computer and it automatically boots into GNU GRUB with no other options, it can be a frustrating experience. This issue is often caused by a lingering GRUB bootloader from a previous Linux or Ubuntu installation. In this article, we will provide a detailed guide on how to resolve this issue and boot directly into Windows.

Understanding the Issue

GNU GRUB (Grand Unified Bootloader) is a boot loader package developed to support multiple operating systems and allow the user to select among them during boot-up. It is often used when you have both Windows and Linux on your computer. If you’ve recently removed the Linux partition, the GRUB remains, causing the computer to boot into the GRUB interface.

Accessing UEFI Settings

The first step to resolving this issue is to access the UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) settings on your computer. Here’s how:

1. Open the charms bar (press Windows Key + C).
2. Click on “Settings.”
3. Select “Change PC settings.”
4. Navigate to “Update and Recovery.”
5. Choose “Recovery.”
6. Under “Advanced Start Up,” click “Restart now.”

Removing Ubuntu Entries from Boot Menu

Once you’ve accessed the advanced options, you can proceed to open the Boot menu and delete any Ubuntu entries. This will stop your computer from automatically booting into GRUB.

Reinstalling Windows

If the above steps don’t work, you may need to reinstall Windows. This can be found under “PC Settings” -> “Update and Recovery” -> “Recovery.” Please note that reinstalling Windows will erase all data on your computer, so it’s recommended to back up any important files before proceeding.

Removing GRUB using Command Prompt

If you’ve deleted the Linux partition through disk manager and your computer keeps starting in the GRUB terminal, you can use the command prompt to remove GRUB. Here’s how:

1. Open an advanced command prompt.
2. Enter the following commands:

Diskpart
List disk

Diskpart is a command-line utility used to manipulate disk partitions in all versions of Windows and Windows Server. The List disk command will display all the disks on your computer.

3. Select your system drive with the command Sel disk <System drive number>. For example, if your system drive is disk 2, you would type Sel disk 2.
4. List all volumes with the command List vol.
5. Select your EFI partition with the command Sel vol <EFI partition number>. For example, if your EFI partition is volume 4, you would type Sel vol 4.
6. Assign a letter to the volume with the command assign letter=V:. You can replace V: with any other unassigned letter.
7. Exit the diskpart utility with the command Exit.
8. Navigate to the assigned directory with the following commands:

V:
cd EFI
dir

9. Remove the Ubuntu directory with the command rmdir /S ubuntu. You can also remove other Linux-related directories with the same command, replacing ubuntu with the directory name.
10. Restart your computer.

Please be cautious when deleting partitions and directories, as it can lead to data loss if not done correctly.

Conclusion

If your computer is automatically booting into GNU GRUB with no other options, it’s likely due to a leftover GRUB bootloader from a previous Linux installation. By following the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to resolve this issue and boot directly into Windows. As always, remember to back up your data before making any significant changes to your system.