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How to Install Linux Alongside Windows Without Losing Your Files

A backup-first guide to installing Ubuntu alongside Windows, choosing the right disk option, and knowing when BitLocker or Intel RST means you should stop.
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You can install Ubuntu alongside Windows and choose which system to start, but no dual-boot setup is risk-free: it changes disk and boot configuration. Back up your files and verify the backup first. This guide follows the Ubuntu 24.04 Desktop installation workflow; installer labels and supported options can differ by Linux distribution, release, Windows edition, and PC manufacturer.

Before you start: protect your files and recovery options

Back up important files

Copy important files to a separate destination and open a few from the backup to confirm they are readable. A backup on another drive is separate from the disk you will partition. Keep Windows recovery or installation media available if your PC maker or organization provides it; there is no single recovery-media procedure for every PC.

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Check encryption and save recovery keys

Find out whether BitLocker or Windows Device Encryption is active, and store the recovery key somewhere you can access without the PC. Firmware, boot-setting, or hardware changes can prompt recovery-key requests for encrypted drives. See Ubuntu’s installation preparation guidance and its hardware-backed disk encryption reference, updated August 20, 2026. That reference labels hardware-backed disk encryption Beta; check its current status rather than assuming it is a general release feature.

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If BitLocker is enabled, do not assume turning it off is universally reversible. Ubuntu warns that some Windows versions may not let you re-enable it after disabling it. Check current Microsoft guidance for your Windows edition and device before changing encryption settings.

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Prepare installation media

Download the official Ubuntu image and use an appropriate image-writing tool to make a bootable USB. Writing the image erases the selected USB stick, so use a spare one and double-check which device the tool is about to overwrite. Copying the ISO file onto a USB as an ordinary file does not make it bootable. Ubuntu’s installation tutorial describes preparing the media.

Check whether your PC is ready

Boot from the USB and test the live session

  1. Restart the PC with the Ubuntu USB connected.
  2. Open the manufacturer’s boot menu and choose the USB drive. F12 is common on PCs; Escape, F2, or F10 may be used instead, depending on the manufacturer.
  3. If Ubuntu offers a live session, start it and check that basic hardware works before installing.

Exact boot-menu keys and firmware settings vary by PC. For boot mode and Secure Boot questions, use current guidance for your Ubuntu release and PC model rather than relying on older, general instructions.

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Stop if the installer cannot see the Windows disk

Some PCs use Intel RST storage configuration, which the Ubuntu installer does not support without a storage configuration change. If the Windows drive is missing or the installer reports an RST issue, stop and follow current Ubuntu and PC-manufacturer instructions for that exact machine. Do not switch RAID, RST, or AHCI settings by guesswork; the right steps depend on the hardware and Windows configuration.

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Install Ubuntu alongside Windows

  1. Start the interactive installation. Follow the installer’s prompts for a typical personal installation.
  2. Choose the alongside option at disk setup. Select the explicit option to install Ubuntu alongside the existing operating system, if offered. Confirm that the detected drive is the one you intend to use and that the proposed Ubuntu space is acceptable. In its Ubuntu 24.04 guide, Canonical says this flow lets you choose a drive and the amount of space for Ubuntu while preserving existing files: disk setup instructions.
  3. Do not choose “Erase disk and install Ubuntu” for the Windows drive. Ubuntu says that option uses the entire disk space on the selected drive. Selecting a different drive does not make the choice non-destructive for that drive.
  4. Review the final summary before confirming. Read the complete “ready to install” summary and check that it describes the intended target and changes. If the target or partition layout is unclear, cancel rather than guessing.

If the alongside option is unavailable

Manual partitioning is intended for advanced users. Do not use it as a workaround for a BitLocker warning or an unclear disk layout. If you cannot identify the partitions and mount points with confidence, stop before applying changes and consult the current documentation for your distribution and PC.

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If you see a BitLocker warning

Cancel the installation. Ubuntu explains that when it cannot map a BitLocker-protected Windows disk, its installer cannot safely install alongside Windows without data-loss risk. Do not try to bypass that warning with manual partitioning. Check the current Ubuntu BitLocker guidance and Microsoft instructions for your particular Windows version before deciding whether to disable encryption. A separate, unencrypted disk may be an option, but carefully verify the target drive and boot configuration first.

After installation: check both operating systems

  1. Restart and remove the USB when prompted.
  2. Confirm Ubuntu starts. Use the installed boot menu or the PC’s firmware boot menu to select Windows and verify that it remains available.
  3. Start Windows and check that important files are present. If you access Windows partitions from Ubuntu, check shared data carefully before writing to them.
  4. Install Ubuntu updates through Software Updater or the documented package update path.

Boot menus and recovery procedures vary across machines; Ubuntu’s installation guide does not provide a complete recovery procedure for every PC. Keep your verified backup and encryption recovery keys available while checking the installation.

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Sources and scope

The procedure above is based on Canonical’s Ubuntu 24.04 Desktop installation tutorial, last updated January 16, 2026, and its BitLocker guidance, last updated January 7, 2026. Other Linux distributions and installer releases may use different labels or support different installation paths; use the current official guide for the distribution you plan to install.

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