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Before installing Linux beside Windows, confirm four things: your important files are backed up elsewhere, Windows encryption will not block the installer, the installation media will boot in the same firmware mode as Windows, and the installer clearly identifies the intended drive and proposed partition changes. If any target disk, size, or erase option is unclear, stop rather than guessing.
This is a preparation checklist for an Ubuntu-style dual-boot installation. Other distributions may use different installers and have different Secure Boot support, so verify their current official documentation before changing firmware or partitions.
1. Make a backup you can use without the computer
Copy important documents, photos, project files, browser exports, license information, and any other irreplaceable data to separate external backup media before changing partitions. Ubuntu’s community dual-boot guidance recommends this precaution, although that page is marked as needing updates: WindowsDualBoot.
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A second copy on another internal partition is not an adequate safety net. A partitioning mistake, a failed drive, or an interrupted update can affect the entire disk. Disconnecting the backup after verifying that files open is a practical way to prevent an installer from selecting it accidentally.
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Verify the backup
- Open a sample of the copied files from the external drive.
- Check that folders containing large or unusual files were included, not just the default Windows libraries.
- Export anything that exists only inside an application, such as password-vault data, mail archives, virtual machines, or game saves.
- Keep the Windows account credentials and BitLocker recovery information available before you begin.
Prepare a recovery route
Ubuntu’s community page also suggests having Windows recovery media. Because that page is dated, use current Microsoft instructions for your particular Windows edition and device when creating or checking recovery media; do not rely on an old menu path copied from a different release.
A backup protects your files, while recovery media helps you repair or reinstall Windows if its boot files are damaged. Neither makes partitioning risk-free.
2. Check whether BitLocker is enabled
Determine the encryption state of the Windows system drive before booting the Linux installer. Ubuntu’s official BitLocker installation guidance says that the installer cannot access the encrypted contents well enough to map the Windows installation for an alongside setup.
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Do not disable encryption casually. First identify the Windows version and device policy, save the required BitLocker recovery information, and read the current Windows instructions for suspending or turning off protection. Ubuntu documents turning BitLocker off as one possible route, but warns that some Windows versions may not allow you to turn it back on afterward. That can change the device’s security posture and may conflict with an employer, school, or administrator policy.
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If you cannot establish how encryption will be handled, postpone the installation. An installer that cannot read the Windows layout should not be asked to guess where Linux can fit.
Do not confuse related Windows settings
BitLocker is disk encryption. Fast Startup, sleep, hibernation, and device firmware settings are separate issues. The Ubuntu community dual-boot page contains aging advice, so do not treat its Secure Boot or Fast Startup notes as universal current requirements. Check current Windows and distribution documentation for the exact setting on your machine.
3. Match the firmware boot mode
Find out whether Windows currently boots through UEFI or legacy BIOS, then start the Linux installation media in a compatible mode. Ubuntu’s UEFI guidance addresses dual-booting when the existing operating system is installed in UEFI mode, but the page includes dated legacy instructions.
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Why the mode matters
A computer can show the same USB device more than once in its one-time boot menu, with one entry for UEFI and another for legacy compatibility. Starting the installer in the wrong mode can create boot entries that do not align with the existing Windows installation and can make the resulting setup harder to repair.
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Check Secure Boot deliberately
Do not instruct every system to disable Secure Boot. Confirm that the distribution’s current release supports Secure Boot and follow the computer manufacturer’s firmware guidance. If support is uncertain, record the original firmware setting before changing anything so you can restore it if necessary.
Before booting the USB
- Identify the firmware setup key and the one-time boot-menu key for the computer.
- Note the current UEFI, Secure Boot, storage-controller, and boot-order settings.
- Boot the installer entry that matches Windows’ mode, rather than selecting a similarly named legacy entry by accident.
4. Confirm the correct drive and available space
Ubuntu’s current Install Ubuntu Desktop documentation says the guided alongside flow lets you choose the drive and the amount of space Ubuntu will use. The available amount is constrained by the space occupied by existing files.
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- Record the physical disks installed in the computer and their approximate capacities.
- Identify which disk contains Windows and which disks hold backups or other operating systems.
- Leave enough free space in Windows for normal updates and applications; do not treat every byte shown as available Linux space.
- If the machine has multiple drives, label them by capacity and purpose so the installer’s names can be compared with your notes.
The reviewed Ubuntu documentation does not establish one universal Linux partition size. Requirements vary with the desktop, applications, updates, files, and whether a separate data partition is planned. Choose an amount based on your use and the free space actually available on the selected disk, not a number copied from a generic checklist.
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After selecting an alongside option, inspect the drive identifier, the Windows area that will remain, and the amount being assigned to Ubuntu. Look for a visual partition map or detailed summary and make sure it corresponds to the disk you intended. If the installer offers an unexpected disk, an implausible capacity, or a layout you cannot explain, cancel and investigate from the live environment or the computer’s storage tools.
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5. Understand the installation paths before choosing one
Ubuntu generally presents an automated alongside choice and an advanced manual partitioning route. They are not interchangeable safety levels; both can alter the disk, and the automated option is only useful when its target and proposed changes are clear.
| Check | Automated alongside flow | Manual partitioning |
|---|---|---|
| Encryption visibility | Still requires the installer to map the Windows installation; BitLocker can prevent that. | Does not make an encrypted Windows layout understandable or safe to edit. |
| Drive selection | Ubuntu lets you select the drive and Linux allocation. | You identify partitions and mount points yourself. |
| Space decision | Choose the amount Ubuntu should use from space available around existing files. | You define the partition changes directly; an incorrect selection can overwrite data. |
| Skill required | Designed to reduce manual layout decisions when the proposal is intelligible. | Ubuntu describes this as an advanced-user workflow. |
| When to stop | Stop if the disk, Windows remainder, or allocation is not clear. | Stop if you cannot explain every partition, filesystem, mount point, and deletion. |
Ubuntu’s documentation gives a useful rule for an unclear interface: “If the interface doesn’t make sense, we recommend that you pick one of the automated disk setup options instead.” That advice does not mean accepting an unexplained proposal; it means avoiding manual editing when you do not understand it. If the automated proposal is also unclear, do not continue.
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Read every radio button, checkbox, warning, and confirmation screen. An option that says it will erase the disk, replace Windows, or delete selected partitions is not an alongside installation.
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Questions to answer before pressing Continue
- Which physical drive is selected?
- Which existing partitions will remain unchanged?
- Which partition or unallocated area will be reduced or reused?
- How much space will Linux receive, and what will remain for Windows?
- Does the summary mention erase, format, delete, or replace?
- Can you explain the result without relying on the installer’s icon or color alone?
If any answer is uncertain, choose Back or Cancel. Photographing or writing down the proposed layout can help you seek support without committing the change.
7. Create and test the installation media
Ubuntu’s installation process uses bootable installation media. A USB flash drive is a practical choice for a USB-based workflow, but there is no universal capacity or model established here. Use the distribution’s current instructions to download the intended release, write it to the USB, and verify the download when verification instructions are provided.
Keep the USB workflow safe
- Use a USB drive that does not contain files you still need; writing installation media normally reformats it.
- Disconnect unrelated external drives, especially backup drives, while selecting the boot device and reviewing disks.
- Keep the installer USB available for later repair or reinstall work, and record which release it contains.
Booting the USB successfully does not prove that the disk plan is safe. The live session can start even when BitLocker, firmware mode, or insufficient free space will later block an alongside installation.
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Proceed only when all of these are true
- Your important files have been copied to separate external media and checked.
- You have a workable Windows recovery route and the necessary recovery information.
- You know whether BitLocker is enabled and have followed current Windows guidance for the chosen approach.
- The Linux media boots in the firmware mode compatible with Windows.
- The intended physical drive is unmistakable and has enough usable space.
- The installer’s proposed allocation leaves the Windows installation where you expect it.
- You understand every erase, format, resize, and delete action shown on the confirmation screen.
Stop and resolve the blocker when
- The installer cannot map Windows because its contents are encrypted.
- Two disks look similar and you cannot identify the target confidently.
- The proposal would erase a disk or partition you did not intend to remove.
- The boot menu offers a mode you cannot reconcile with Windows’ current mode.
- The available space is smaller than expected or the proposed resize is unexplained.
- You are considering manual partitioning but cannot describe the existing layout.
- Secure Boot support for the chosen distribution and release is unknown.
9. What to record before making changes
Write down the Windows edition, disk capacities, current boot mode, Secure Boot state, BitLocker state, and the location of your backup. Save screenshots of the installer’s disk summary only after removing personal information if you plan to ask for help publicly. These notes make it easier to restore firmware settings or explain exactly where the installation stopped.
Once the checks pass, continue through the distribution’s current installer documentation and read each confirmation screen. This checklist is deliberately a gate before disk changes, not a promise that a guided installation cannot fail.
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