Dual boot Windows 7/8/8.1 with Ubuntu (any version)
NOTE: READ THE
ENTIRE POST CAREFULLY. START DOING WHEN YOU ARE FULLY CONFIDENT..
If you are little bit
poor in using computer I sincerely advice you to take help from any
engineering graduate.
There are various pre-requisites to install Ubuntu Linux.
UEFI and BIOS makes thing a little different from the conventional way of dual booting. In this article, we shall see how to install Ubuntu Linux in dual boot mode with Windows 7/8 or Windows 8.1.
On a UEFI (Unified
Extensible Firmware Interface) is a standard firmware interface for
NEW PC/laptops, designed to replace BIOS (basic input/output system).
(Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is a standard firmware
interface for PCs, designed to replace BIOS (basic input/output
system).
Fig:
screen shot of the boot options menu on one of my UEFI-based
PCs
BIOS (basic
input/output system) is the program a personal computer's
microprocessor uses to get the computer system started after you turn
it on. It also manages data flow between the computer's operating
system and attached devices such as the hard disk, video adapter,
keyboard, mouse and printer.
Fig:screenshot
of the boot options menu on BIOS-based PCs
Step 1: Take backup.
It is always nice to
make a back up, just in case if something going wrong for your pc.
There are numerous articles on the web to show you how to backup your
WINDOWS system just by googling. Or you can use your
pendrive/external hard disk to take your important files through
backup.
Step 2:
The next thing you need to do is to create a "bootable Ubuntu Linux" on
your pendrive ( USB stick) or using a blank DVD . clik here to know
more about how to make Bootable Pendrive
Once if you created
this stick you can use this in number of times and use it in number
of systems
Step 3: Make a
partition where Ubuntu will be installed
Assuming that you
have a fresh system, the first thing we need to do is to make
partition in your Hard disk to
install Linux. The 256 GB in my system was already had
several partitions in my Hard Disk from manufacturer . Main
partition was C drive, of around 220 GB, where Windows 8.1 was
installed. Rest of partition D Drive for backup and Other purposes.
Don't Ignore :- If
you have just one partition like this, you need to make some free
space out of it for Linux.
If you have several
partitions of considerable size, use any of them except C drive
because it may erase the data.
To make a partition
in Windows 8, go to Disk Management tool. You can find disk
management tool by searching for ‘disk’ in Control Panel.
In the Disk
Management tool, right click on the drive which you want to partition
and select shrink volume. In my case, I shrank the C drive to make
some free space:
You can leave the
free space as it is. We shall use it while installing Ubuntu.
Step 4: Disable fast
startup in Windows [optional]
Windows 8 introduced
a new feature called “fast startup” for quick boot. While it is
not mandatory, it would be better to have it disabled.
Go to Control Panel
> Hardware and Sound > Power Options > System Settings >
Choose what the power buttons do and uncheck the Turn on fast startup
box.
Step 5: Disable secure boot in Windows 8 and 8.1
This is the most
important step. The new secure boot feature of Windows 8, originally
intended for security feature for rootkit viruses, prevents dual
booting of Windows with Linux. To dual boot Windows 8 with Linux,
we must disable secure boot in UEFI.
Step 6: Installing
Ubuntu alongside Windows 7/8/8.1
Once you have
disabled secure boot, it’s time to install Ubuntu. I hope you
already created the live USB as mentioned in step 2. Plug in the USB
and boot the system from it.
To boot from USB,
will have to choose boot from USB option from within Windows itself.
Either with PC Setting (like for UEFI) or pressing shift key while
clicking on Restart.
Once you have booted
in the live USB, you will be presented with option to try or install
Ubuntu. Click on install. You will be presented with few screen
options to choose the language. It will then do some checks on
available space, power and internet connection etc. Just click on
Continue.
The main screen
which you should pay attention to is Installation Type. Choose
Something else here (Pay more attention from this step)
Remember we had
created some free space beforehand? We shall use the free space to
create Root, Swap and Home. Select the free space and click on the +
sign.
It will provide
you with option to create Linux partition. We are creating the Root
partition. Any thing between 10-20 GB is more than sufficient for it.
Choose the size, select Ext 4 as file type and / (means root) as the
mount point.
Clicking on OK in
previous step will bring you to the partition screen. Next we will
create swap. Like previously, click on the + sign again. This time
use the file type as Swap area. Suggestible swap size is double of
RAM
In similar
fashion, create a Home partition. Allocate it maximum space (in fact
allocate it rest of the free space) because this is where you’ll
save music, pictures and downloaded files.
Once you are ready
with Root, Swap and Home, click on Install Now:
Next you will be
asked to set username,password etc. Enter them as you wish, Basically, you just need to click
next now.
Once the
installation is completed, restart the computer, you should be
welcomed by a purple grub screen. Enjoy Ubuntu along with Windows 8
in dual boot mode.
"Our duty is to
encourage every one in his struggle to live up to his own highest
idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as
possible to the Truth." -- Swami Vivekanand
