Before replacing Windows with Linux, make and verify an independent copy of every file you need, save your BitLocker recovery key, record Windows activation details, and test the exact computer in Linux’s live preview. Also check storage mode, firmware, applications, peripherals, and your plan for returning to Windows.
Ubuntu is used below as a concrete example because its current installer documentation is unusually specific. Other distributions may use different requirements and installer screens, so check the exact distribution’s current guide before erasing a disk.
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What should I back up before replacing Windows with Linux?
Back up to storage separate from the Windows disk you may erase. Use an external hard drive, USB flash drive, or a cloud location; Microsoft lists all three as possible destinations in its recovery guidance. An external hard drive is usually the most practical choice for a large photo, video, or project collection.
Make an independent copy, not just a Windows transfer
Microsoft’s Windows-to-Windows transfer feature is not a complete Linux migration plan. It excludes installed applications, saved passwords and sign-in credentials, and files on BitLocker-encrypted drives. It is intended for setting up another Windows PC, not for preparing a Linux replacement. Cloud-synced data may need to be retrieved by signing in rather than copied by that transfer feature.
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Use a practical file inventory
Copy the files you actually need, including items that are easy to overlook:
- Documents, photos, videos, music, Desktop, and Downloads folders.
- Project directories, source code, virtual-machine images, game saves, and application data stored outside standard folders.
- Local email archives, address books, exported browser bookmarks, and locally stored notes.
- Tax, financial, school, work, or creative files that are not synchronized elsewhere.
- License records, two-factor recovery codes, and configuration files that you are allowed to retain.
This is a file backup, not a promise that a Windows application will run on Linux. Make a separate list of the programs, subscriptions, accounts, and workflows you must recreate.
Verify the backup before changing the disk
Open representative files directly from the external drive or cloud account. Check the most important folders, compare approximate file counts where practical, and confirm that large files can be opened. A backup that was never tested is only an assumption. Keep the backup disconnected while installing when practical, so an installer mistake cannot affect both the original and the copy.
If you use a USB drive to create Linux installation media, remember that the Ubuntu guide warns the installer USB itself will be erased during creation. Do not store your only backup on that USB stick.
Do I need my BitLocker recovery key?
Yes, if BitLocker or Windows device encryption is enabled, preserve the recovery key before changing partitions, disks, or firmware settings. Microsoft describes it as a 48-digit number. Windows may request it when it cannot automatically unlock an encrypted drive.
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Save the key somewhere you can reach from another device, such as a printed record, a separate encrypted storage location, or an account location you have verified. Do not leave the only copy on the Windows disk you may erase. Microsoft states that Support cannot retrieve, provide, or recreate a lost recovery key; see Microsoft’s BitLocker recovery-key guidance.
Check whether an organization controls the key
On a work or school computer, the recovery key may be managed by organizational IT rather than your personal account. Ask the administrator for the approved copy before making changes. Keep the key even when your immediate plan is a complete Linux replacement: it protects access to any Windows data you still need and may be essential if you later restore Windows.
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BitLocker affects dual-boot installation
Ubuntu says its installer cannot safely access an encrypted Windows installation for the alongside option. Its documented alternatives include disabling BitLocker or using a separate unencrypted disk, each with security and setup consequences. Do not disable encryption casually or assume this limitation applies identically to every distribution. Preserve the key and follow the current instructions for your exact machine and target distribution first.
How do I know if my laptop works with Ubuntu?
Start with the exact model, not merely the processor family or product line. Search the target distribution’s official certified-hardware list. Canonical says certified devices have been tested and confirmed to work well with Ubuntu. Certification is useful evidence, but it does not replace testing your own configuration, especially if you added memory, storage, a dock, or an unusual peripheral.
Test the live preview while Windows still works
Boot the Ubuntu Desktop live preview before installing. Canonical’s instruction is direct: “If you can’t see your device there, you can always just Try Ubuntu Desktop and check if everything works as expected.” A live session runs from installation media without replacing the internal system, making it the safest compatibility check available on that computer.
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- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
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Test the functions that matter to your daily work:
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, wired networking, and VPN access.
- Internal and external displays, brightness controls, graphics acceleration, and docking.
- Speakers, headphone output, microphone input, and webcam.
- Keyboard, touchpad, touch-screen gestures, function keys, and suspend/resume.
- Fingerprint reader, printer, scanner, storage-card reader, and specialist equipment.
Ubuntu cautions that its preview uses open-source drivers only. Some hardware, including certain NVIDIA graphics configurations, may require proprietary drivers that are unavailable in the preview but can be enabled during or after installation. A missing feature in the live session therefore needs investigation; it is not automatically proof that the installed system cannot support the device.
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Check for Intel Rapid Storage Technology
Ubuntu identifies Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST) as unsupported by its installer. On an affected machine, installation cannot proceed until RST is disabled. Ubuntu points to a Windows-to-AHCI reconfiguration procedure. Storage-mode changes can affect the existing Windows installation, so use the procedure written for your exact computer, confirm the backup and recovery key first, and do not improvise firmware changes.
Do not turn off Secure Boot by default
Secure Boot is not automatically a blocker. Ubuntu documents Secure Boot support and explains that third-party kernel modules can be signed with a Machine Owner Key. Installation may ask you to create a password that is needed later when enrolling that key. Read the target distribution’s current Secure Boot instructions and your manufacturer’s firmware guidance before changing settings. Disable it only when a documented, machine-specific requirement exists.
Check the target disk and installer requirements
For the Ubuntu Desktop release covered by its current guide, the installer lists at least 25 GB of storage and recommends an 8 GB-or-larger flash drive for installation media. Those figures are Ubuntu installer requirements, not universal requirements for every Linux distribution. Make sure the flash drive is large enough and that you have a separate destination for backups.
Record Windows recovery and activation information
If there is any chance you will return to Windows, collect recovery information before erasing the system.
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- Record whether the edition is Windows Home or Pro.
- Check activation status and note the Microsoft account associated with the device.
- Locate any 25-character product-key documentation you legitimately possess.
- Identify the manufacturer’s recovery image or create approved recovery media.
Microsoft explains in its Windows activation guidance that activation uses either a digital license or a 25-character product key. A digital license is associated with the device’s hardware, and a substantial hardware change can affect activation. This does not establish a universal right to transfer a license to another computer.
Manufacturer recovery media can be especially valuable because Microsoft says OEM media may include hardware-specific drivers and factory applications. Keep it separate from the Linux installer and your personal-file backup. Microsoft’s recovery documentation also warns users to back up data before recovery operations; see Recovery options in Windows and Reinstall Windows with the installation media.
Will my Windows programs work on Linux?
Do not assume that a Windows executable will run on Linux or that a Linux alternative will behave identically. Before erasing Windows, list every program and workflow you depend on and check the publisher’s current Linux support, web version, export options, or documented alternative.
Inventory more than application names
Record the program version, subscription status, account sign-in, file formats, plug-ins, fonts, hardware keys, macros, and shared folders each workflow uses. Check whether data can be exported in an open format. Confirm how browsers, password managers, email archives, and cloud drives will be accessed after the change. Save credentials through the service’s approved recovery method rather than relying on a Windows transfer utility.
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Will installing Linux erase Windows?
It depends on the installer choice. Ubuntu’s current installer presents “Erase disk and install Ubuntu” as the single-operating-system option. Selecting it replaces the existing installation and can destroy Windows, its recovery partitions, and files on that disk. Do not select it until the independent backup, recovery key, application inventory, and return plan are complete.
Ubuntu also offers an alongside option that keeps Windows and its files when the disk layout is compatible. Canonical’s guide says, “If your device currently has another operating system installed, you also have the options to install Ubuntu alongside that system.” BitLocker can prevent this path because the installer cannot safely access the encrypted Windows installation. Dual boot also requires enough free space and a compatible firmware and partition configuration.
Manual partitioning is intended for advanced users. Avoid generic partition recipes: UEFI settings, encryption, existing recovery partitions, and installer behavior differ by computer and distribution.
Choose the path that matches your risk tolerance
| Decision axis | Replace Windows | Keep Windows alongside Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Existing Windows installation | Erase-and-install replaces it. | Windows remains available when setup is compatible. |
| Backup | Essential before selecting the erase option. | Still essential before partition changes. |
| BitLocker | Preserve any needed data and the recovery key first. | Ubuntu says encrypted Windows cannot be safely accessed for this installer path. |
| Setup complexity | Ubuntu calls erase-and-install the easiest single-OS option. | Requires free space and a compatible existing disk setup. |
| Best fit | You have verified Linux workflows and want one operating system. | You still need Windows applications or want a transition period. |
This table summarizes Ubuntu’s documented choices and their practical implications. It is not a guarantee that every distribution or manufacturer supports dual boot in the same way.
Safe preparation sequence before installation
- Decide whether Windows is being erased. Read the installer’s disk-choice wording instead of assuming a default is harmless.
- Complete and test the independent backup. Open important files from the separate destination.
- Save the BitLocker key. Verify that the 48-digit key is accessible from another device or location.
- Record Windows recovery details. Note edition, activation information, Microsoft account, product-key records, and OEM recovery media.
- Inventory applications and accounts. Confirm Linux support or a workable replacement for every essential workflow.
- Check hardware certification and boot the live preview. Test networking, display, audio, input, camera, suspend, and specialist peripherals.
- Resolve RST and firmware issues. Follow the exact machine’s AHCI, Secure Boot, and driver instructions; do not make unverified changes.
- Create installation media. For the Ubuntu guide cited here, use an 8 GB-or-larger flash drive and keep your backup elsewhere.
- Install only after the return path is clear. If Windows may be needed again, keep OEM recovery media and the information required for reactivation.
Common failure points and what they mean
The installer refuses to continue
On an Intel system, Intel RST is a documented cause. Stop and follow the target distribution’s Windows-to-AHCI procedure for that exact model. Do not simply switch modes without preparing Windows and confirming your backup.
Wi-Fi or graphics fails in the live preview
Determine whether the component needs a proprietary driver. Ubuntu’s preview intentionally uses open-source drivers, so the installed system may offer an additional driver. Check the distribution’s hardware documentation and test again after installation only when you have a recovery plan.
The alongside option is unavailable
BitLocker, insufficient free space, or an incompatible disk layout may be responsible. Ubuntu specifically warns that BitLocker blocks safe access to the encrypted Windows installation for this option. Do not disable encryption or repartition until the key is preserved and you understand the security and recovery consequences.
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Microsoft says Support cannot recreate a lost key. Search the verified locations you prepared, and contact organizational IT if the device belongs to work or school. Never assume the key can be reconstructed from the installation media.
Quick Recap
Final pre-install checklist
- Important files open successfully from a separate backup.
- The backup is not stored only on the disk or USB being changed.
- The 48-digit BitLocker recovery key is saved and accessible.
- Windows edition, activation details, account information, and recovery media are recorded.
- Essential programs, files, credentials, and workflows have Linux plans.
- The exact computer has been checked against certification information and tested in the live preview.
- Wi-Fi, graphics, displays, audio, webcam, input devices, suspend, and required peripherals work or have a documented driver plan.
- Intel RST, AHCI, Secure Boot, and storage layout have been checked using current device-specific instructions.
- You understand whether the selected installer option erases Windows or keeps it.
- You know how you would restore Windows if the Linux installation does not meet your needs.
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