You can install Ubuntu alongside Windows without intentionally removing Windows, but the safe path depends on the installer recognizing the Windows disk and offering its guided “install alongside” option. Back up your files first, check BitLocker and storage warnings, and review the target drive and installation summary before you commit.
Before you start: protect your files and recovery access
Back up important files to a separate location and confirm you can open the backup. Ubuntu recommends backing up a computer that is already in use before installation. Keep your Windows recovery information available, especially if device encryption or BitLocker is enabled; changes to boot or storage settings can trigger a recovery prompt.
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Use the current Ubuntu Desktop download and installation documentation for the release you plan to install. Ubuntu’s older tutorial notes that its documentation is migrating, so its older interface wording should not be treated as a guarantee of what you will see in a current installer.
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Create a bootable Ubuntu USB
Write the Ubuntu ISO image to a USB flash drive using an image-writing tool; simply copying the ISO file onto the drive does not create bootable installation media. Ubuntu’s tutorial recommends a flash drive of 12 GB or above. Writing the image erases the selected USB drive, so copy its contents elsewhere first and verify the target drive before starting. Ubuntu’s installation tutorial explains the media-creation process.
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Check BitLocker before changing partitions
Find out whether Windows BitLocker or device encryption is enabled, and make sure you can retrieve the recovery information. Ubuntu says its installer cannot correctly map a BitLocker-protected Windows disk for a safe alongside installation. Some manufacturers may enable BitLocker on a new PC even before the disk contents are encrypted, and the installer may still be unable to map the disk. See Ubuntu’s BitLocker installation guidance before proceeding if encryption is involved.
If the installer displays a BitLocker warning, stop the same-disk installation rather than guessing at partitions or choosing a destructive option. Ubuntu documents turning BitLocker off as one possible route and installing Ubuntu to a separate, unencrypted disk as another. Disabling encryption is not a universally reversible change: Ubuntu warns that some Windows versions may not let you re-enable BitLocker afterward. Check current Microsoft guidance for your Windows edition and circumstances before changing encryption settings.
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Try Ubuntu and check your hardware first
Choose “Try Ubuntu” from the installer if you want to check hardware support before installation. Ubuntu describes this preview as making no changes to the PC. Use it to check the basics that matter to you, such as whether you can connect to your network and use your display, keyboard, touchpad, or other essential devices.
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If you only want to learn Linux or use Linux tools from Windows, a live USB, virtual machine, or Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) may meet your needs without a permanent dual-boot installation. A live session is temporary, and WSL or a virtual machine is not the same as booting a native Ubuntu installation. Ubuntu outlines these options in its Ubuntu Desktop overview.
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- ✅1. Plug-In USB Drive
- ✅2. Holding the "Option" key , and Power On
- ✅3. it will appear startup menu, choose USB drive from startup menu
- ✅4. After that, the installation will begin.
Check boot mode and storage warnings
The Ubuntu installation media needs to start in a mode compatible with the existing Windows installation. Ubuntu community guidance says that if the existing operating system was installed in UEFI mode, Ubuntu should also be installed in UEFI mode. Because exact firmware labels and menus vary by manufacturer, use your PC maker’s instructions rather than assuming a particular key or menu name. The Ubuntu UEFI guidance is community documentation marked as needing an update, so treat it as background for mode consistency, not a current device-specific procedure.
If you see an Intel RST warning, do not make a generic storage-controller change based on a guess. Ubuntu’s older tutorial flags RST as a possible obstacle and points to dedicated guidance. Follow current instructions for your exact PC model and Windows setup before changing storage settings; a change can affect whether Windows starts.
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Choose the installation path that keeps Windows
Use the guided alongside option when it appears
If the installer recognizes Windows and offers “install alongside,” choose that route when your goal is to keep Windows on the same disk. Ubuntu’s guided flow lets you select the drive and allocate space to Ubuntu, and is designed to preserve existing files. Read the choices and final installation summary carefully before confirming. The current Ubuntu Desktop installation guide describes the guided process and identifies manual partitioning as an advanced-user option.
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Check the selected drive by its identity and capacity, particularly on a PC with more than one disk. Make sure the layout and summary match your intent before clicking Install. Do not choose “Erase disk and install Ubuntu” if you want to retain Windows on that same disk: Ubuntu says that option uses the entire selected disk.
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- SanDisk SecureAcces software with 128-bit AES encryption and password protection(1)
Know when to stop
If the installer does not recognize Windows, does not offer an alongside option, or displays an encryption or storage warning, stop rather than improvising with manual partitions. Manual partitioning is intended for advanced users. Resolve the specific warning using current Ubuntu, Microsoft, or PC-maker guidance before trying again.
Do you need to disable Secure Boot?
Not as a universal rule. Ubuntu documents support for Secure Boot through signed boot components. If installation of third-party drivers or kernel modules requires it, Ubuntu may ask you during reboot to enroll a Machine Owner Key (MOK). Follow the on-screen confirmation flow when it applies; do not disable Secure Boot simply because you are installing Ubuntu.
Quick Recap
Which way to use Ubuntu fits your goal?
| Option | Useful when | What to consider |
|---|---|---|
| Guided same-disk alongside install | The installer recognizes Windows and offers the alongside option. | Windows and Ubuntu share a disk, so back up first and review the space allocation and summary. |
| Install Ubuntu on a separate disk | You have a suitable second, unencrypted disk; it can also be an alternative when BitLocker prevents same-disk mapping. | Identify the target drive carefully and check boot behavior for your PC. |
| Live USB / “Try Ubuntu” | You want to check hardware or explore Ubuntu before installing. | The live session does not give you a permanent installed system. |
| Virtual machine or WSL | You mainly want Linux tools or a way to learn Linux from Windows. | Neither is the same as starting a native Ubuntu installation at boot. |
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