Transitioning from Windows to Linux Mint: A Guide for Dual Booters

Are you currently dual-booting Linux Mint and Windows but considering a shift to exclusively using Mint? You’re not alone! Many users seek to streamline their systems by removing Windows altogether, and fortunately, there are ways to do this without a complete reinstall of Mint—though it may involve a few careful steps.

Uninstalling Windows from a Dual Boot Setup

If you’ve decided to embrace Mint as your primary operating system on your Dell OptiPlex 3070, here’s a straightforward approach to uninstalling Windows 11 and maximizing your Mint experience.

Step 1: Back Up Important Data

Before making any changes, it’s important to back up any data from Windows that you might need. Since you’ve mentioned that you’re open to data loss, you might choose to skip this. However, it’s always good practice to ensure you don’t lose anything important by accident.

Step 2: Remove Windows from the GRUB Menu

1. Boot into Linux Mint: Start your computer and boot into your Linux Mint environment.

2. Open Terminal: You can quickly access the terminal through the menu or by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T.

3. Identify Partitions: Use the following command to list all your disk partitions:
   bash
sudo fdisk -l
   Look for the partitions that Windows is installed on (usually NTFS).

4. Unmount Windows Partition: If you know the partition to unmount, you can do so using:
   bash
sudo umount /dev/sdXY
   (Replace /dev/sdXY with your actual partition number.)

5. Delete Windows Partition: Use the GParted tool (or another partition manager) to delete the Windows partitions. You can install it if it’s not already present:
   bash
sudo apt install gparted
   Once opened, find and delete the partitions associated with Windows.

Step 3: Resize the Mint Partition

Once you’ve removed the Windows partitions, you’ll want to reclaim that space for Linux Mint:

1. In GParted, locate your Linux Mint partition.
2. Right-click on it and select Resize/Move.
3. Adjust the size to take advantage of the now-unallocated space.

Step 4: Update the GRUB Boot