Dual boot installation

To install Ubuntu along side with current Window OS, do the following steps:

1) Backup important data to cloud or external hard-disk, just in case if anything goes wrong, we won't lose any important data. Some free Cloud service: Dropbox, Google Drive, Onedrive, Megadrive, etc.

2) Create some free space for Ubuntu. Google search for some free partition software for this. E.g.,

https://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html

We can also use Windows Disk Management tools to shrink a drive, and get some free space for a new drive. Plan accordingly, leave enough space for future expansion of Windows, and enough space for Linux.

There could be case where all the drive is set to Primary, and no more additional disk drive can be assigned. In this case, we need to change one of the partition from Primary to logical. There are some free partition software that is able to do this.

3) Download the latest Ubuntu OS from

https://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop.

suggested version in 2016: Ubuntu 16.04 LTE

4) Make a USB setup disk from the downloaded Ubuntu.

5) Restart computer with the USB disk inserted to the bootable USB port, change the boot-up device sequence in the Bios, to have the USB drive to boot first.

6) Now, your computer should be booted in Ubuntu Linux system.

7) Install Ubuntu on the empty/unused partition. The create a small partition for swap, and the other for Ubuntu (/). The swap size is about 1.5xPhysical RAM size if you later want to have hibernate option. Otherwise, you can set smaller swap size. Check online for some guidelines.

8) Restart computer, there should be option to boot to Windows or Ubuntu. If the boot option to Windows is not available, no need to panic, go to step 9. If everything is fine, then you are set.

9) If Windows option is not available during boot-up, the boot-up sector needs to be repaired. Boot in Ubuntu, mount Windows partition, open terminal, and run sudo update-grub.

* Newer computer may need an EFI partition. Choose to boot using EFI partition.