I’m a little bit confused about how to install Ubuntu without losing anything on my computer. I want to be able to run Windows as well as Ubuntu, so I have to create a new partition, right? If so can I create a new partition without erasing my harddrive?

4 Comments

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  By Mike, June 25, 2008 @ 4:34 pm

  1. If you want to keep your Windows system, select the option that says “Guided – resize the partition and use the freed space”. (Dual Boot)
  2. If you want to delete your Windows system, select the option that says “Guided – use entire disk”.

  Once you’ve decided, click the Forward button.

• 

  By Bill, June 28, 2008 @ 12:45 pm

  Hello Katie;

  Happy to help — this is an easy one!

  First you must have a good amount of disk space … the Linux is going to use at least 5 gigs.

  Before you start have the machine configured the way you want it … monitor, Keyboard, Mouse — everything should be the way you want it. Have the internet cable plugged in (if you have it).

  Ubuntu Linux (I assume one of the latest version) can be on a CD ROM — put it in the disk drive and boot from it.

  It will give you all kinds of options — the one to select is is install …

  It will check the system and ask some questions about your language, hardware and the location, date and time stuff.

  Eventually it will get to a screen where it will ask you how you want to divide your disk drive.

  This is where it gets serious. The program should default to the dual boot system and it will have a graphic showing what percent of the C:/ drive will be allocated to the MS Windows Operating System and what percent will be allocated to Linux. You can use the graphic to select what ever numbers you want … just for the sake of argument lets say you decide that you want your system to be 50% MS Windows and 50% Linux, and that you have a large hard drive that will accommodate both systems easily. THIS IS THE OPTION YOU WANT! It is typically the first option listed.

  This is where your question comes to the fore — Linux will find the unused space on the disk to install itself … because Linux has a different type of file system it will have to create the needed partitions for itself. This will leave the MS Windows System already installed unaffected (but smaller). It is adding new partitions, not destroying the existing system. None of your programs or data will be effected. The only difference is that your disk has the essential new partitions where Linux will live.

  Linux will ask some questions about who the user is and the password — This has to be done right if you forget either of these two pieces of data LINUX WILL NOT RUN! Pick something that you will never ever forget or mess up.

  Eventually Linux will create the partitions and install itself, when finished (it might take some time if the disk is big) but it will ultimately prompt you to re-boot the machine (without the CD ROM). Henceforth it will prompt you which system you want to boot from.

  This would be what you want. So the warning is this — there will be the options — Use the entire Disk drive for Linux — Don’t do that! It will destroy the whole MS Windows Operating System and make a Linux System, basically it uses the entire C:/ for Linux — This is not what you want!

  The Third Option is to manually partition the disk — trust me this is not what you want either.

  You shouldn’t have too much trouble … but you are not done yet … remember I said to have the internet connected … once you have Linux up and running (it will ask for your username and password) you will have a small red arrow on the menubar at the bottom of the screen … click on this and linux will update itself via the internet connection (it is like windows update it shows up from time to time).

  Best of luck,

  Bill

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  By Dudeberry, June 29, 2008 @ 8:17 am

  Use wubi (Windows UBuntu Installer. It’s open-source and officially supported by Canonical. It gives you a dual-boot between Windows and Ubuntu. Ubuntu is actually stored within Windows. Very easy to use and would defo recomend it. Only thing is if your windows messes up, it can also mess up Ubuntu when you use this.

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  By Mark R, June 30, 2008 @ 11:18 pm

  Hi there,

  The good news is you don’t have to create a new partition.

  Ubuntu 8.10 (aka Intrepid Ibex) includes a handy utility called WUBI which creates a large file on your existing Windows partition (or any other existing partition) and uses it as a “virtual hard drive” on which Ubuntu is installed.

  Download Ubuntu 8.10, this includes WUBI on the disk, just pop the CD in while you are already in windows, the WUBI installer should appear. This guides you through the process and it is pretty much idiot proof!

  It will give you a menu that appears when you turn on the machine, which gives you the choice of booting into Windows or Ubuntu.

  If you like, at any point you can simply remove Ubuntu by booting into Windows and uninstalling it just as you would any other Windows application.

  Also, if you decide you want to keep Ubuntu, you have the choice of transferring Ubuntu onto its own partition which will give a slight increase in performance as there is no virtual drive emulation.

  I hope that helps. For more infor on wubi see
  Note you don’t need to download it as it is included on the Ubuntu 8.10 CD.

  Yet another option would be to download wubi from the link above, it will download the installation CD and install ubuntu as described above with the benefit that you don’t need to burn a CD :)

  Best of luck :)

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