Preparing Your PC for Ubuntu

Before installing Ubuntu, some preparatory work within Windows is advisable.

Ensuring enough disk space is free

Regardless of what installation method you choose, you’ll need at least 5GB of free disk space for Ubuntu. For an installation you intend to use full-time, you’ll probably need much more.

If your computer’s hard disk is low on free disk space, you’ll need to either uninstall some software using Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel, or delete data. Multimedia files take-up most space.

Alternatively, if using a desktop PC, you can add an additional hard disk to your computer, onto which you can install Ubuntu. Unlike some versions of Windows, Ubuntu can be installed on disks that aren’t the primary hard disk in the system.

Defragmenting the hard disk

Once you’re sure there’s enough free space, you should defragment the hard disk. This is necessary because, if you use Wubi, you’ll create some multi-gigabyte files while installing Ubuntu. For reasons of performance, it’s best if these are contiguous, rather than fragmented around the disk.

If you choose the repartitioning option to install Ubuntu, you may find that the Windows partition won’t resize successfully if it is too fragmented. There’s even a risk of data loss.

To defrag under Vista, open Computer on the Start menu, and rightclick the hard disk icon. Select Properties and then the Tools tab in the dialog that appears. Click the DEFRAGMENT NOW button, and click the button with the same label in the dialog box that appears.

Under XP, open My Computer, right-click the hard disk icon, click Properties, then the Tools tab, and click the DEFRAGMENT NOW button. Click the DEFRAGMENT button in the program window that appears.

Checking the Windows filesystem for errors

It’s a good idea to periodically check the Windows filesystem for errors under any circumstances, but it’s vital if you opt to install Ubuntu by repartitioning the hard disk. If there are disk errors, repartitioning will fail. There’s even a chance of data corruption.

To force a disk check in Windows XP, click Start  Run, type cmd, and in the DOS window that appears, type chkdsk /f. Type Y when prompted, then reboot. Under Windows Vista, click the Start button, then type cmd into the Start Search text field. However, don’t hit Enter! Instead type Ctrl+Shift+Enter. This will run the DOS window in privileged mode, and you’ll be asked to authenticate. Once the DOS window appears, follow the steps as with Windows XP.

You should ensure Windows is shutdown cleanly before installing Ubuntu. If Windows crashes during shutdown, or you simply switch the power off, it won’t be possible for Ubuntu to resize the partition.