If you’d like to try and use Linux without damaging your hard drive or your Windows partition, then this guide is for you. It will walk you through setting up Windows Ubuntu Installer (wubi) and also show you how to remove it in case you decide Linux is not for you.
Obtaining Wubi
You can download Windows Ubuntu Installer at the following link:
https://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/windows-installer
Installation
Once downloaded, run the wubi.exe file. You should see a screen like this:
Installation drive option is where you want to load all the Ubuntu files. If you only have one drive, then C: is your only option. If you have multiple drives and your C drive doesn’t exactly have enough space on it, you can send it to a different drive.
Installation size: This indicates how much space will be taken up by this Linux environment. Installation itself will fill up about 3 GB, therefore anything over will be used as free space for you to store applications, files, etc. Maximum storage is set to 30GB. 15GB is recommended for starters. If you don’t have a lot of space, choose 6 GB and that should be enough.
Desktop environment: The look and feel of different Linux desktops. By default, the desktop is called Gnome. But there are other variants such as Kde, Xfce and others. You can look these up online and see which ones you really like. A lot of people prefer KDE because of its eye candy, but my personal preference is Gnome because it’s very simple. Xfce is also very simple and lightweight. Therefore the list is as follows:
1) Ubuntu – gnome
2) Kubuntu – KDE
3) Xubuntu – Xfce
Language: English unless you prefer something different
Username and password: anything you like.
That’s all you have to do. The rest of the process is automated. The program will automatically go out and download the latest operating system (make sure you’re connected to the internet. It should complete in about 30 minutes depending on your connection speed. It will also modify your boot menu to add Ubuntu to it.
Next time you restart your computer you will see Windows and Ubuntu as boot choices. Choose Ubuntu and log in with the username and password you choose.
At this point you can begin exploring Ubuntu. You can also access your Windows files and store files from Ubuntu to those locations if you wish.
Removal
Wubi can be removed from Control panel just like any other program. This removal process will clean up your boot manager as well, so everything will go back to normal.
*Disclaimer: AVADirect and its Staff are not responsible for any damage to software/hardware, loss of data or personal injury by following our How-To guides. These guides are provided only as an aid to help you troubleshoot system problems. If you do not feel comfortable performing these steps its always best to send in your system to a local repair shop or contact an appropriate technical support line for additional assistance.
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