[Installation] Installing Kubuntu alongside Windows 10 in a dual-boot configuration?

[Guest]

Hi everyone,

Absolute Kubuntu newbie... I've spent some time in various flavors of Linux, but pretty much dropped it when they jammed the "Unity" desktop down my throat. Then just recently I stumbled across Kubuntu, and it looks like just what I've been looking for.

Having said that, however... I'm typing this on a new laptop (a Dell Inspiron 5755), because while attempting to install Kubuntu on my prior laptop, an Asus G73JH, it went in okay... but trashed my Windows 7 install. Pulled the drive with Kubuntu on it, and when trying to boot into Windows, it told me to select a bootable media; in other words, the disk was utterly trashed (in terms of being usefully formatted as a bootable disk.).

Other things went wrong at that point, and I found I had bigger problems, and wound up with a machine that wouldn't boot at all, not from ANY source... couldn't even access the BIOS. It just bricked. I don't really believe that Kubuntu was the cause of this, but having had it blow up an existing Windows installation has got me REALLY gun-shy about trying to do this again on my new machine. The Windows 10 that came with this is an OEM version, pre-installed; no Windows disc to re-install Windows if things go sideways again.

Also, I've installed dual-boot setups with Linux before (Ubuntu, an older version, 10.xxx or something close to that, and still running WindowsXP). It asked me along the way if I wanted to set up a dual-boot system, and I told it to go ahead. No problems, everything worked just fine. When installing Kubuntu this last tiime, however, while it saw the Windows installation, it didn't ask me anything about dual-boot, and I didn't see any check box or anything else to do so. Thought maybe it had been automated by now, and went ahead with it, with the above result.

Anybody got any pointers for a newbie for installing Kubuntu into an existing Windows 10 install that will ensure that I won't repeat that last nightmare again? I feel like I overlooked something (probably an obvious something) during that last disastrous install, and would like to avoid a similar boo-boo. Windows is decidedly not my favorite OS; I generally use it strictly for gaming, and do all my serious stuff in Linux. REALLY not impressed with Win 10 in particular; had lots of network connectivity issues when trying to set it up... much time with tech support later, it seems to be working, but I don't much trust it anymore and would rather just install Kubuntu and relegate Win back to it's gaming role.

Thanks for reading this long-winded rant, and thanks in advance for any pointers you might come up with!

[Snowhog]

The very first thing you will NEED to do is shrink the existing Windows 10 installation on the HDD. Use Windows own utility to do this (it’s already installed). Why? Because Windows, even when it isn’t using the entire space on the HDD, reserves ALL the unused space for its use. In order to install any other OS to the HDD, you have to recover space on it do do so. Make sure you have done that first. Doing so will not affect Windows 10’s operation in any way.

Report back when that has been accomplished.

Can Windows 10 built-in Disk Management resize Windows 10 partition?

[oshunluvr]

I don't do Windows, but you'll need to review your dual-booting options prior to attempting installation. Learning about Secure Boot and EFI are likely in your future if you want to dual-boot with a Microsoft product. Luckily, Linux has learned to get along with the Windows booting requirements so you'll be able to do it - just do your homework and use caution when installing. I believe the Windows boot manager can boot other OSs these days so installing Kubuntu without grub (our boot manager) might be possible and the safest way to go.

Not that it matters, but there's no way I can think of that any OS can "brick" a computer. I might have corrupted or deleted the boot record on the drive or removed EFI or something like that, but in order for a computer to actually be "bricked" like a phone might be, you'd have to trash the BIOS and operating systems can't do that - at least none that I am aware of.

[mr_raider]

Do what was suggested above. Then boot your live media, open a terminal and type the following three commands, and paste the output of each here;

sudo parted -l

sudo efibootmgr -v

inxi -Fxz

This will give as a good idea of your system, and what is possible.

Dell EFI BIOSes are usually forgiving, and tolerant of manipulation.