I recently had an old iMac gathering dust at home, with Ubuntu installed, but it wasn’t really serving any purpose. So, I decided to give it a fresh start by removing Ubuntu and installing Windows 10 Home for my daughter. In this blog, I’ll guide you through the steps I followed to remove Ubuntu, set up Windows 10, and even where I found an affordable activation key!

Why I Chose to Remove Ubuntu and Install Windows 10

The iMac was mainly used as a backup machine with Ubuntu installed, but it wasn’t ideal for my daughter’s needs. She prefers the familiar Windows environment, so I thought it would be the perfect time to remove Ubuntu and install Windows 10 Home on it.

Instead of buying a new machine, I decided to work with what I had. After all, repurposing old hardware is both eco-friendly and cost-effective.

Buying the Windows 10 Home Key on a Budget

One of the biggest expenses when setting up Windows is the activation key. Fortunately, I found a great deal online. I purchased a Windows 10 Home activation key for £8.99 from Softkeys.uk.

This is significantly cheaper than the £100+ Microsoft charges or the £24.99 you’d typically find on Amazon. The process was straightforward, and the key worked without any issues, providing a fully activated Windows experience.

Step-by-Step Guide: Removing Ubuntu and Installing Windows 10

Here’s how I went about it:

Step 1: Backup Your Data

If you’ve been using Ubuntu, you’ll want to back up any important files, as the installation process will erase everything on your current partitions.

Step 2: Use GParted to Remove Ubuntu

I booted into Ubuntu and opened GParted to manage the partitions:

1. Open GParted (you can install it with sudo apt-get install gparted if it’s not installed).

2. Locate the Ubuntu partition (likely an ext4 partition) and unmount it.

3. If unmounting doesn’t work, I recommend using GParted Live from a USB (instructions below).

4. Once unmounted, right-click the partition, select Delete, and apply the changes.

Step 3: Create an NTFS Partition for Windows

Once the Ubuntu partition is deleted, the space becomes unallocated. To prepare for Windows:

1. Right-click the unallocated space.

2. Select New, choose NTFS as the file system, and apply the changes.

This creates the space needed for Windows installation.

Step 4: Boot from a Windows 10 USB

Next, I needed to create a bootable Windows 10 USB. Using another computer, I downloaded the Windows 10 ISO and created a bootable USB using Rufus.

Here’s how:

1. Plug in the USB drive and open Rufus.

2. Select the Windows 10 ISO and choose the correct partition scheme (GPT for newer iMacs).

3. Start the process, and once done, plug the USB into the iMac.

To boot from the USB:

1. Restart the iMac and hold the Option (⌥) key.

2. Select the USB from the boot menu.

Step 5: Install Windows 10

Once the Windows installer loads, follow these steps:

1. Select the NTFS partition you created for Windows.

2. If an error about MBR/GPT partitioning appears, use the command prompt (Shift + F10) in the installer to run Diskpart and convert the disk to GPT:

diskpart

list disk

select disk 0

clean

convert gpt

exit

After this, the installation proceeded smoothly. I used the activation key I purchased from Softkeys.uk, which worked flawlessly.

Troubleshooting

1. Unmounting Ubuntu Partition

If the partition won’t unmount in GParted, you can boot into GParted Live from a USB and unmount it there. Here’s how to create a GParted Live USB:

1. Download GParted Live ISO.

2. Use Rufus to create the bootable USB.

3. Boot into the USB and use GParted to manage your partitions.

2. Windows MBR/GPT Error

As mentioned earlier, Windows may require you to convert your disk to GPT if it’s currently formatted as MBR. Use the Diskpart commands listed above to fix this.

Why You Should Repurpose Your Old Devices

By installing Windows 10 on an old iMac, I’ve saved money and reduced e-waste. The device is now fully functional and perfect for my daughter to use for schoolwork and entertainment.

Setting up Windows 10 on an older iMac turned out to be simpler than I thought, thanks to tools like GParted and the affordable Windows 10 key I found online. Repurposing old hardware is a fantastic way to breathe new life into it, and I encourage anyone with an old machine to try it out.

If you’re looking for affordable Windows 10 activation keys, don’t hesitate to check out Softkeys.uk. For just £8.99, you can get a legitimate key and avoid paying the hefty prices from major retailers.