I used dual boot Windows 10 and Ubuntu Linux a couple of years ago.
Now I decided to keep both Windows and new distro of Ubuntu.
I removed the old Ubuntu distro. But I still run out of memory.
In Windows Disk management I find 4 Healthy Primary Partitions from 2 GB to 167 GB. With no drive letters. I know it is a Windows related question but to keep Windows and create new dual boot with the current Ubuntu distro can I safely delete the above Windows partitions without any consequences for Windows or Ubuntu?
Thank you very much.
Harry
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What version of Windows?
Post this to see more detail on partitions from live installer.
Make sure Windows fast startup/hibernation is off and bitlocker is off, or the Linux NTFS driver cannot correctly see NTFS partitions.
lsblk -e 7 -o MODEL,NAME,FSTYPE,LABEL,MOUNTPOINT,SIZE,fsused
If the partitions do not have drive letters they are probably not windows partitions as the only windows partition which doesn’t get a drive letter with a standard windows install is the EFI partition and you don’t want to delete that if you have it.
How did you ‘remove’ the old Ubuntu distro? The standard method would be to just format them which you could do with the new Ubuntu installer if you want Ubuntu on the same partitions. Posting the output of the command suggested above would be a good start as it will show information on your drive(s), partitions, filesystem type, partition size and how much used space on each. You could also post the output of: sudo parted -l which will list the partition table type. That would be helpful as we would know the partition table type as you haven’t indicated which release version of windows you are using or whether it is an EFI or legacy/CSM install.
A) Version of Windows → Windows 10
B) “Post this to see more detail on partitions from live installer.” Help here ?? (Sorry I am very Newbie and lacking technical background so kindly bare with me if you wish…)
C) “Make sure Windows fast startup/hibernation is off and bitlocker is off, or the Linux NTFS driver cannot correctly see NTFS partitions.” Now I am completely lost… any elaboration would highly help me … THANK YOU Immensely,
yancek
A) Most partitions do not have drive letters. No partition is mentioned/referred as EFI partition so I do not recognize it to avoid deleting it. Most probably there is no such partition. Except of 2 (Healthy Recovery Partitions) there are 4 (Healthy Primary Partitions) with sizes 1.91- 46.57 - 14.90 and 167.64 GB each (in this order).
B) How did I ‘remove’ the old Ubuntu distro? In Windows 10, I did it using the Command Prompt and the bcdedit entries. From the list I copied the identifier of Linux and then deleted it (always with bcdedit commands)
C) [You mentioned: The standard method would be to just format them which you could do with the new Ubuntu installer if you want Ubuntu on the same partitions.] Now I guess it may be a little late ? … or is it not?
**Now for the following postings you mentioned, I am not sure I can do it (especially with Linux command prompts … I get totally lost there) **
In any case I really thank you very much for the help and I am sorry that I am not savvy in this field
Thanks again
@harantz Welcome to Ubuntu Discourse 
Do you have a USB with a recent version of Ubuntu on it that you can use to boot the computer?
If the answer is yes this is what you need to do:
Boot the computer with the USB attached, go to BIOS boot order and allow it to boot from the USB.
When the menu comes up Try or Install Ubuntu continue and then, this is very important, when the installer starts choose to Try Ubuntu.
Do not try installing at this stage.
Once you see the Ubuntu desktop, click on the Show Apps icon (lower left on the dash) and search for terminal.
Open the terminal and run the command suggested by @oldfred above.
You can copy the output from the terminal and paste it here in a reply or take a screenshot, but we prefer output.
Once we see what is really going on it will be easier to offer suggestions for your situation.
Also make sure before you do all this to follow the other suggestions posted by @oldfred
Do not be afraid of the terminal. Often easy to just copy & paste a command, just be sure source of command is reliable.
If you do not have live installer flash drive.
And install:
Updated to 24.04
Bitlocker in Windows, turn off so installer can correctly see drive
https://documentation.ubuntu.com/desktop/en/latest/tutorial/install-ubuntu-desktop/
My lsblk as an example, that we need to see from your system
> fred@dell5310:~$ lsblk -e 7 -o MODEL,NAME,FSTYPE,LABEL,MOUNTPOINT,SIZE,fsused
> MODEL NAME FSTYPE LABEL MOUNTPOIN SIZE FSUSED
> PC SN530 NVMe WDC 512GB nvme0n1 476.9G
> ├─nvme0n1p1 vfat ESP /boot/efi 200M 127.3M
> ├─nvme0n1p2 128M
> ├─nvme0n1p3 ntfs OS 202.4G
> ├─nvme0n1p4 vfat FAT32 6G
> ├─nvme0n1p5 ntfs Shared 63.9G
> ├─nvme0n1p6 ext4 noble-dell / 39.1G 17.5G
> ├─nvme0n1p7 ext4 data-dell /mnt/data 142.6G 87.5G
> ├─nvme0n1p8 swap 4.1G
> ├─nvme0n1p9 ntfs WINRETOOLS 1.4G
> ├─nvme0n1p10 ntfs Image 15.7G
> └─nvme0n1p11 ntfs DELLSUPPORT 1.4G
One site on Windows fast startup off. There also may be an UEFI/BIOS setting for fast boot which also should be off as that assumes no system changes and always default boots previous configuration.
http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4189-fast-startup-turn-off-windows-10-a.html
Thank you very much for now. I will follow your very helpful suggestions (very carefully that is ha…ha) and will revert with the outcome.
A million thanks to all again.
For us non-savvy new Linux users you are all very helpful sources. Now I understand why this site (resource Blog) was suggested to me so many times.
Thank you all very much and I will follow all your suggestions religiously ( 
).
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Turning off fast boot and hibernation are windows things which must be done from a booted windows installation and there are countless web sites online which explain it.
If you do not see an EFI partition in Disk Management in windows it is because windows by default does not display it, that is a choice by Microsoft. You can use diskpart on windows to create a drive letter for it if you want.
If you have windows 10 and it was preinstalled then it is almost certainly an EFI install and if it is a computer built in the last 10 years, the drive is likely GPT. You can get information on what GPT drives are with a simple online search.
If you create an Ubuntu install USB, you can boot it and use the command: sudo parted -l to LIST information on drives/partitions.
Modifying the boot entries using bcdedit didn’t remove anything but those entries in the Windows boot manager menu. If that is all you did, then Ubuntu is still on those partitions and again, you can obtain this information when booted to the Ubuntu install USB with the command I posted above. It is possible to boot a Linux OS by creating entries with bcdedit to chainload a Linux OS, is that what you were doing?
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