Attempting to delete old Ubuntu boot files.
Attempting to delete old Ubuntu boot files.
Hey all, I've been trying to install Ubuntu recently, I've had some failed installs probably just due to some slow hard drives and I've just decided it's more convenient to run it Virtualized in my Windows 10 environment, at least until I get an external hard drive. That's for another day. Unfortunately I made a mistake and there is some Ubuntu boot data on my SSD C Drive. It was one of the failed installs so it's essentially a broken boot link and useless. I was wondering how you would go about deleting, I just don't like having wasted space or clunking up the BIOS boot menu anymore than it already is. (Above is screenshot from MiniTool Partition Wizard) I have used a USB to boot into Ubuntu, it wasn't clear which files were Ubuntu and which were Windows so I didn't delete files from there. Thanks, in advance, Zac.
The files in the EFI folder are fine—they’re on a separate partition with space reserved, so no wasted area. Consider using BOOTICE to delete the UEFI boot entries or check if your UEFI configuration handles this automatically.
Be cautious with the /EFI/boot directory—it wasn’t made by the Ubuntu installer; those files come from Windows 10. Simply remove /EFI/Ubuntu. Additionally, this might not be the end of the issue, as the UEFI entry could remain depending on how advanced your BIOS is; you should delete it manually. This ^ might also be another option.
You might want to look into BOOTICE. I believe by now there should be a more effective solution. Probably most users aren't prone to such errors. Is there a method to remove it from the menu? Perhaps not even erase the data from the disk but conceal it? I'm using an Asus Z97-A board, so it's an Asus BIOS I'm working with. I'll be very cautious—I might end up hiding it instead of deleting it completely. It's just a few hundred megabytes.
You can eliminate unnecessary items from the queue. If UEFI identifies them, they'll stay for inclusion in the queue or be chosen during forced boot selection. There will always be elements you'll never need on that list.
Sadly the UEFI will still recognize them. I assumed there might be a particular method to eliminate them, but turns out it’s not that simple. You’re correct—there are many items on the list that I don’t actually need, which adds one more to the mix. Appreciate the assistance!
This video provided valuable guidance. The option remains available, but all information has been deleted from the C: drive. Clearing CMOS might resolve the issue—selecting the C: drive during the Ubuntu installation causes the screen to flash and return to BIOS, preventing any execution. EDIT Solution: I applied Minitool Parition, reassigned the Boot data partition to a usable letter (the video referenced "Z:" which shouldn’t disrupt Windows). After that, I ran PowerShell to access it and followed the steps shown. Accessed Z:/efi/boot/remove-item ubuntu remove-item Boot. Remember to revert the boot partition back to "None" using Minitool Partition Wizard. During installation, I removed the C: drive, installed Ubuntu, and upon rebooting, the BIOS detected the missing boot data and completed the install successfully. Thanks for your help!