There's another potentially better way. You can get swappable front panel SATA drive-bays fairly inexpensively and simply install (or backup the existing W10) each OS to a separate drive and swap them to suit.

I haven't used MS Windows for many years. I use Ubuntu and have not had any problems at all.

Roger

Hi Robin,

You 't regret changing to Ubuntu. I have used Linux for years, Mint on very old pcs (maximum RAM less than 1gb RAM), it makes them like when they were new or faster and Ubuntu on the laptop and my workstation. I have a more specialised Linux version for data recovery and fixing hard drive problems on a bootable USB that is also a godsend on old Windows drives. However before installing, back up your data and make a Windows recovery disc or bootable USB key and note the activation key (you never know if you will need it).

Having an ability to have access to Windows is still useful however as sometimes there are programs that only have a Windows version, not so often now but it happens.

The big thing that held me back for a long time from going totally Linux on a day to day basis was Autocad that I have always done my 2D drawings on since 1981. However after I found Draftsight from Dassault Systems the Solidworks people, that went away to. For Linux it is totally free and for me does all I need. For 3D there is FreeCad.

Depending on the size of your existing hard drive I would suggest dual boot as the way to go to.

Using Ubuntu you can do most of your stuff from the GUI a la Windows. After years of working that way I am now learning more about what is under the bonnet and using the terminal more.

Because of Linux being open source and so popular worldwide you will find if you have a problem you will find one or more normally several answers on the net. The askubuntu site seems to come up with an immense amount of help I find.

GO for it.

Paul

Rob,

I went through the same a few years ago and dual booted my machine. I found that, as time went on, I realised that Ubuntu was pretty good and that I didn't really need Windows, or any of the crap associated with it (like "I'm going to update now and you will just have to wait until I'm done&quot.

There were two programs which I still needed Windows for – TurboCad and Finale Guitar, however, I discovered that I could use Windows from within Ubuntu by means of Oracle Virtual Box. Although alternative Linux programs were available, I knew how I like to use those Windows programs and the alternatives wanted me to learn something different. I already had an original Vista DVD, so could load that legitimately. I understand that Microsoft make available a version of XP (for free) to run in such a virtual environment if you don't have original media.

The only downside of Ubuntu is that it is written by geeks for geeks (apologies) and they sometimes forget that us mere mortals who don't know the system inside out need keypress by keypress instructions for some things. That said, the only thing I've not been able to do was load something called dxf2gcode. Everything else (including the dual booting and getting VirtualBox and CamBam to work) I managed through following instructions I found on the web.

I do occasionally run Windows outside of Ubuntu but find that happens quite rarely these days and when I do, I get annoyed at how slow it runs and how little respect they have for what you the user wants from the software – the attitude seemingly "you will run this and you will use it this way". Ubuntu isn't like that.

Regards Tom

I've looked at Linux a number of times – got very frustrated by how complex installing software can be (though for a lot of stuff it is fine). I have to use Windows for some of the software I use.

One thing I've come across recently which may be worth being aware of if you dual boot – Linux and Windows store CMOS time differently. Windows writes local time to CMOS, whereas Linux writes UTC to CMOS.

If you change OS (dual boot or swap system disk) it can take a while before system time gets corrected. Many modern licensing systems require contact with a remote server at software launch and will include a time check – if time is significantly out, the software will be disabled.

It is possible to configure Windows to write UTC to CMOS instead of local time – that might be worth looking into if you intend to swap OS.

I use Ubuntu for 90% of my home computing : for the reasons given above and others it's my platform of choice. However, as Robin asked about disadvantages:

• Linux is not Windows. Beware if you expect Linux to work in exactly the same way as Windows, and run the same software, and you dislike change or learning new tricks. I have to say this is the real killer in my experience: if it's all you know, the belief that that the Microsoft way is the right way becomes firmly embedded. We all know how difficult is it to break habits, even bad ones like alcohol, pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth!
• Ditto Linux software: for example, LibreOffice isn't 100% compatible with MS-Office. For average home use this may not matter, but it might if you regularly exchange data with a pure Microsoft business, especially if Forms, Macros and Scripts are involved.
• Although Linux supports a good range of software and can run many Windows Applications, Windows does more. The gap isn't enormous but Linux does not run Photoshop, Fusion360, many Games, AutoCAD and a bunch of other 'Windows Only' software. For that reason I dual-boot windows/Ubuntu on my desktop and keep a dedicated Windows10 laptop for Amateur Radio.
• Device Drivers usually appear for Windows first. If you buy new hardware, it may not work until Linux has caught up. Some suppliers deliberately make it difficult for Linux developers, others are helpful. For example HP printers are a good bet on Linux compared with others.
• It may not be straightforward to get LInux on your computer. Some years ago Microsoft introduced a security measure called UEFI that makes it difficult to boot anything other than a Microsoft operating system. These days UEFI isn't a major obstacle to booting Linux but you may have to jump through a few hoops to get it to work. Not everyone has the time or patience!

I hope this doesn't sound intimidating. Many go Linux without problems and find it does everything they want and more. It's not difficult to confirm that your hardware and drivers are Linux compatible before committing to it. You can temporarily boot Linux from a USB stick (or DVD) to check that everything works properly before permanently changing the machine with a full install.

I've never had a problem with dual-booting. Unlike Microsoft which grabs the whole machine, the Linux installer recognises the presence of other operating systems and allows the user to chose if he wants to obliterate them or coexist.

Dave

Join the Linux Mint Forum, **LINK**

Then post a question on the forum under the beginner's section giving as much detail as possible. Someone will get back to you with a solution or give you some things to do to help the diagnosis.

Russell

I use both Linux and windows daily. Windows 10 is my work PC and a dual boot Ubuntu/Windows.

Have booted Windows once in 3 months to use a Photo processing application. Everything else I can do under Linux. There is a Linux application "Wine", that will run a number of Windows application without installing a Virtual Machine.

Libre Office us a reasonable substitute for MS Office and Libre CAD is reasonable for 2D Drawings.

Sometimes you need more than the GUI, Google is your best friend. I use linux servers regularly for for work and still use Google.

Peter

Just spotted the front cover of a computer mag in a newsagent this morning urging readers to dump windows and use free Chrome OS instead. Must admit I did not know there was such an animal.

Rik

I changed from XP to Mint v.13 when Microsoft stopped supporting XP. There were two reasons for this. One is that more and more I don't like Microsoft's business practices (the UEFI being one of them) and the second was that having experienced the slow death of Windows 2000, I didn't want to go through the same rigmarole with XP. I have to say that up to the demise of XP, I was more or less satisfied with 2K & XP.

Many years ago I tried Suse v.9 so I initially tried that: I could not get on with the then current desktop (KDE4). I moved to Ubuntu: I found the icons appallingly large and the colour scheme atrocious. And then it crashed my test computer. And so I came to Mint v.13 with the Mate desktop.

Mint 13 with the Mate desktop worked perfectly right from the beginning. I did use dual boot, but eventually dropped it. Why Mate? Because there was a user guide for it! Firefox, Thunderbird, Libre Office Calc & Writer all worked as required. Paint Shop pro v.7 (yes it's ancient) worked ok with/via Wine. Ultimately when I found that The Gimp offered something that PSP didn't, I transferred. Two Cad programs (actually old version and newer version) both refused to work with Wine 1.4, but the older version started working ok with Wine v1.6. Taxcalc couldn't be made to fully work with Wine or with Oracle's Virtual Box so was dropped in favour of HMRC's online program. Masterfile Professional, a DOS based database program was got working initially via Virtual Box, but with some assistance from another forum it now works satisfactorily via the DOS emulator, DOSemu.

Today, I'm on Mint v.18.1, still using Mate desktop, albeit a later version, Firefox, Thunderbird, Libre Office Calc & Writer still work ok, The Gimp has totally replaced PSP, and of the two CAD programs, I'm now on v.2.?? of Wine, the earlier version is perfect, whilst the later version has a couple of minor niggles, but otherwise ok. And the DOS database program also works well.

So, I'm happy, I've absolutely no desire to revert to Microsoft, and with a 9 year old laptop I'm not too sure that it would be a happy situation anyway.

Printing. I'm not too sure what happened. I used an ancient HP deskjet printer on aftermarket cartridges which the printer definitely was not happy with. I'm not too sure of the software either. I'm currently running an old HP printer on HP cartridges and all seems ok, but, I've a nasty sneaking thought that from the noise it makes, it might have failed mechanically (again). If so, I do have yet another HP printer to try.

I find the biggest problem is that it works so well, that I've more or less forgotten what I did when I initially set it up.

Regards,

Peter G. Shaw

Hi, Nige,

As a long time (over 10 years now, I think) user of Linux (now aged 75) ihave to agree with you, but urge you not to give up. I always thought of myself as a 'user', because I wanted a useable operating system so I could use the computer as a tool – I was originally horrified at at the remarks about linux users having to be nerds, because the last thing I wanted to do was faff around for hours with the software.

That said, I persevered, first with all sorts of differnt linux dialects, then settled on Ubuntu, then moved to Linux Mint when I found that Ubuntu was moving away from the desktop menu 'usage' I was used to – I have just installed Linux Mint 18.3 Beta, and have had no trouble whatsoever.

But all this isn't helping you … On the occasions I have had simialr problems as yours, I have almost always traced it to a corrupted download. ON the site of most distros, you will find a checksum published which applies to the download you have made. (I assume you know what these are) – after downloading the .iso file for the distro, then you should check that the checksum of the downloaded file is the same as that which was published. It occurs to me from what you have said, that you may have already tried to install it, and ended up with a non-working computer, so this suggestion is no use (sorry).

If that is the case, hopefuly you have a friend who can do the download again for you. When you finally have a distro, I strongly recommend you burn it as a Live copy onto a USB. (this is again explained on most distro sites – it is a bootable USB stick, and the computer can be booted from it into the OS, and all its functions checked before you do the installation. Mint and UBuntu is particularly good for this.

If these steps don't work, then you probably have a more serious problem, and will nned to post again, to get more advice – hope this helps, because it is worth the trouble – there are lots of people on this forum who would never go back to Windows.

Started using fredora early 2000 migrated to debian and ubuntu 2008 Use both, debian on desktop ubuntu on laptop, very happy only revert to ms for some printer functions.

Debian is a little bit stricter on priority software but much stabler with releases every 2 years, whereas ubuntu every 6 months. Ubuntu is the easiest for those transferring from MS. Both support dual boot so you can have a foot in each, Linux can see the win partician MS does not see linux.

Plenty of free software for all the linux derivativs.