Months ago I duel boot Windows XP & Ubuntu but realized I haven't nor have a desire to run Ubuntu anymore. I learned how to use it, but now I just want that hard drive space back for my Windows operating system, for I have downloaded some new Visual Studio 08 beta software, and I would like really like to have more than just 1.5GB of free space on my hard drive. What is the easiest, quickest way to get the space back as either just an empty hard drive that I can use, or as a whole? I thought about just formatting, and reinstalling everything, but don't wanna take the time to install all of those programs that I am using.

You could use Norton PartitionMagic 8.0 to delete Ubuntu partition(s) and then resize your primary Windows one. I know it's not free, it's just that I used that prog when it was 5.0 or something so I don't know how it look like now. There might be other free alternative partition tool who can manage that but I don't know one now, maybe there's even one in Ubuntu..

There should be a linux based partitioning utility either on the boot disk you used to partition and install Ubuntu from in the first place.
Chances are this utility will let you reclaim the space as part of your normal Windows partition. IIRC the utility can be accessed from within Ubuntu, but you'd want to be running Ubuntu from the disk rather than the partition you're about to remove.

Hope that makes sense.