HomeBrainDump Page 4 - How to Replace an Invalid Windows XP Installation with Ubuntu
The hard disk configuration - BrainDump
Let us assume that you do not love your invalid Windows XP anymore, can't afford to buy a license, and have some important files on it that you can just transfer to a flash drive or Windows Sky drive (a free online hard drive service by Windows). Then the best solution is to replace your computer's operating system with Linux Ubuntu. Keep reading and we'll show you how and why.
The most important part of the installation is the hard disk configuration. Actually the main purpose of this configuration is NTFS Partitioning. If you were planning to do a dual boot, both Windows XP and Ubuntu would have each other's partition space in the hard disk.
Since we are planning to entirely replace Windows XP, the partition space should be entirely removed and replaced with Ubuntu.
To do this, under "Select Disk space," select "Guided- select entire disk." This will replace Windows XP and automatically partition your hard disk for Linux Ubuntu.
This is why we need to back up your important data first (documents, files containing sensitive information, photos, etc.) because once the disk is formatted with Linux Ubuntu, all existing data will be erased and cannot be recovered.
Setting Up Your Personal Account and Completing Installation
This time, you need to properly input an admin account. In Linux, the user in the installation can act as a "User" or "admin" at the same time. By default, when the owner (username in the installation) logs in to Linux, Ubuntu will not automatically assign him admin rights for security purposes except when he/she is able to give commands to authenticate as administrator.
It is highly important to remember usernames and passwords carefully. After this step, the system will be ready to be completely installed. It takes around eight to 15 minutes for the complete installation.
Finally, the system will ask you to reboot, then remove the CD on the drive. Do this. Then, for the first time, you see the login screen.
Enter the username and passwords provided by you during the installation. Now you can now see the Ubuntu Desktop.
Linux and Windows can have similar functions but be highly different in the method of executing those functions. For example, copying files in Windows is very simple (using Ctrl C, then Ctrl-V), but Linux makes use of terminal commands that you will still need to learn. This means you will have to spend some time learning Linux.
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