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[Not Duplicate] I couldn't find a thread directly addressing this issue, and I didn't want to take chances with my Windows installation and files.

I have a SSD running Windows 10 and an empty (formatted) HDD. I wish to install Ubuntu in the HDD ['Area 51(V:)'] without affecting the SSD (C:) files.

My PC's Disk Information

The step I'm confused at while installing Ubuntu is the 'Installation Type':

  1. 'Install Ubuntu Alongside Windows' only lists the SSD in the 'select drive' dropdown menu.
  2. 'Erase Disk and Install Ubuntu' lets me choose either the SSD or the HDD, but I'm concerned whether choosing the HDD will affect the SSD (Windows files) or not.
  3. Or shall I go with the 'Something else' option. If yes, kindly guide me through it as I'm not able to understand that. I see my disks in the drop down menu at the bottom, but can't figure out the next steps.

I plan to assign the entire HDD(V:) to Ubuntu.

Edit: System's BIOS MODE - UEFI

Thank you.

varungupta
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    Best is to disconnect or in UEFI disable SSD. Alternative is to use Something Else. Be sure to include ESP - efi system partition on HDD, or else Ubuntu will install grub bootloader into ESP on SSD which does work. http://askubuntu.com/questions/743095/how-to-prepare-a-disk-on-an-efi-based-pc-for-ubuntu & https://askubuntu.com/questions/1174374/grub-issues-message-at-boot-error-cant-find-command-hwmatch/1301092#1301092 & https://askubuntu.com/questions/1296065/dual-booting-w10-ubuntu-with-2-separate-ssds-in-uefi-mode/1296153#1296153 – oldfred Jun 11 '21 at 20:12
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    If you don't want the installer to touch the SSD, disconnect or unplug it. Then install into the HDD. This means that you must use a temporary menu of the UEFI-BIOS system to select which drive to boot. See this link (It works not only for USB drives, but for all 'second' drives, when you want to avoid touching the internal drive which is seen as the first drive.) – sudodus Jun 11 '21 at 20:27
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    Does this answer your question? Do I need to partition HDD? If you create unallocated space in your HDD (using Windows) and during Ubuntu installation selsct Install Ubuntu Alongside Windows then the installer will offer to install Ubuntu in the unallocated space in the HDD. – user68186 Jun 11 '21 at 20:57
  • @user68186 'Make as much room for Ubuntu as you want it to have, 100 GB, 200 GB, 900 GB or whatever' Does this mean that out of 500GB available in my HDD (V:), if I want to allocate 300GB to ubuntu, I create a partition of 300GB (Volume shrink) and delete it (make it un-allocated) and let ubuntu's installation wizard handle ext4 partition creation on the un-allocated space? If this is not what you meant, can you explain it a bit more? – varungupta Jun 11 '21 at 22:52
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    It means if you want the whole disk for Ubuntu just delete the 500 GB NTFS partition in your HDD (V:). If you want 300 GB for Ubuntu, volume shrink the 500 GB NTFS partition down to 200 GB so that 300 GB is unallocated. Then Ubunut's installation will do the rest. It will ask you to confirm before installation. Check the information on the screen carefully before hitting the "Continue" button. – user68186 Jun 12 '21 at 00:27
  • The important part is to unplug your Windows disk and install Ubuntu in the same BIOS/UEFI mode Windows boots in. Rufus will make a USB that only installs in UEFI mode, (Partition scheme = GPT), if that is what your Windows is. – C.S.Cameron Jun 12 '21 at 02:41
  • @oldfred what is the difference between your approach and the one given by @user68186? Will creating unallocated space on the HDD and leaving the rest to ubuntu installation do the same work as your approach? If not, any disadvantages of doing this? – varungupta Jun 12 '21 at 09:44
  • @C.S.Cameron Why is it that unplugging the SSD (Windows) drive is needed (when I get the option to choose the disk during ubuntu installation)? My BIOS Mode is indeed UEFI. Will creating unallocated space on the HDD and let the rest be handled by Ubuntu installation, not work? Or Will it have some disadvantages/ probable problems? – varungupta Jun 12 '21 at 09:49
  • @oldfred Also, 'else Ubuntu will install grub bootloader into ESP on SSD'. I'm sorry, I'm new and didn't understand this statement much. Can you please explain this a bit? Any reason why this may not be desired? – varungupta Jun 12 '21 at 09:58
  • In UEFI mode, the Ubuntu installer installs the UEFI bootloader into the 'first drive', whatever you tell it to do. Call it a bug or a feature :-/ And the first drive is usually the internal one (in your case the SSD with Windows. – sudodus Jun 12 '21 at 10:18
  • @sudodus Hmm, So is that why disconnecting the SSD (first drive) is recommended? This will bypass this issue, right? (This might sound absurd but - removing the drive running windows randomly, installing ubuntu and later putting in back again,to use Windows along with Ubuntu, won't mess up the system, right?) and I'd ask you this as well - I see multiple methods listed here to achieve what I want. Now, I'm wondering which one would be the most efficient. Any inputs? – varungupta Jun 12 '21 at 10:26
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    That's right. So also my first comment. The link from there is one example, that I made. There are several other links to useful examples by @C.S.Cameron, that are particularly useful if you want a portable system (that works in many computers, not only the one where you installed it). – sudodus Jun 12 '21 at 10:31
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    I prefer to unplug the Windows drive because you cant break something that isn't there, overwrite Windows, install GRUB in the wrong place, etc. After install, plug windows in, boot Ubuntu and run: sudo update-grub to put Windows on the Ubuntu boot menu. If you ever remove Ubuntu, your Windows bootloader will still be there. If you want a quick and easy Ubuntu install with no need to remove the Windows drive, that will boot on multiple computers, as Sudodus mentions, see https://askubuntu.com/a/1300458/43926 – C.S.Cameron Jun 12 '21 at 10:43

2 Answers2

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If you want to use the "Install Alongside Windows" option during installation with the destination to install Ubuntu on the HDD, you need to have enough unallocated space on that drive.

Right now the entire drive is taken up by a NTFS partition. Ubuntu cannot be installed to a NTFS partition.

To prepare for guided installation, you should delete the "Area51" partition or you can also format the whole HDD with a GPT partition scheme.

Don't use Windows tools to prepare partitions for an Ubuntu installation. You can select the "Try Ubuntu" option from installation media to use a live session. From there you can use the "Disks" application to select your HDD and choose "Format Disk...". Since your HDD has the same capacity as your SSD, make sure you have selected the correct drive before formatting.

After the drive is formatted, or if there is sufficient unpartitioned free space, you can start the installation and use the guided "Install Alongside Windows" option.

Make sure you have good backups before altering partitions or installing operating systems.

Nmath
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  • I'm new to this and trying to understand the process before getting it done. Are you aware of any difference in results after following your approaches and approached mentioned in the comments above? (Unplugging the drive, manually creating an ESP-efi system partition on the HDD? (Will Ubuntu installer do this automatically?) Someone mentioned, Ubuntu will install grub bootloader into ESP on SSD, if ESP-efi partition not done on HDD. Any disadvantages of this? Thanks. – varungupta Jun 12 '21 at 09:56
  • If both internal drives, you do not have to have an ESP on second drive. If external drive, you must have an ESP with boot files on external if you ever want to unplug it as system boots from ESP on internal drive to grub on external to then boot any install, external or internal. I prefer to always use gpt partitioning & include an ESP on every drive, just in case. – oldfred Jun 12 '21 at 20:10
  • The ESP was originally designed as extended space for your firmware (motherboard) with the intention that you should have only one ESP per system. However, most motherboards will allow you to boot from multiple ESP partitions. The downside of multiple ESPs is that some operating systems reference the ESP it uses to boot to consider that there are other operating systems installed. GRUB can also boot from other operating systems that use a different ESP so in most cases it doesn't really matter if you use more than one ESP. – Nmath Jun 12 '21 at 20:57
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Summarizing the entire thread:

The optimal way to install Ubuntu on a different Disk (HDD/SSD) is:

  1. Flash Ubuntu to a USB using appropriate software (Rufus).
  2. If the Disk on which Ubuntu is to be installed is not empty (formatted), Go ahead and format it. (On Windows: 'Disk Management and Partition' ----> Find the Volume -----> Format'.
  3. Take out the Disk containing Windows from the system.
  4. Insert the new/formatted Disk (if not present)
  5. Insert the Ubuntu Bootable USB and navigate to your Boot menu and select Ubuntu. The most optimal method is mentioned in a Installation Guide Post @sudodus.

Follow the steps and you're done.

This works! I created this thread on a machine running Windows exclusively and am writing this answer on my installed Ubuntu in parallel to windows.

Some pointers:

-> Removing the Drive ensures no damage to original OS and removes the 'risk' factor while choosing disks during Ubuntu installation.

-> Do not create partitions for Ubuntu from Windows. Windows work on NTFS format and Ubuntu on ext4.

-> Provide a drive with enough space to Ubuntu Installer and it will take care of the rest (at least for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS) [This is when the entire drive is meant to be for Ubuntu. If not, read more about partitioning tools like GParted]

For those having a disk with enough space already installed in the system and wondering why Ubuntu is not recognizing it:

The disk is most probably (check on Windows Disk Management) in NTFS format, not recognized by Ubuntu.

  1. Shrink the disk volume, if desired (in windows)
  2. Delete/Unallocate the volume. (Right Click ---> Delete Volume)

Now, Ubuntu installer will recognize this unallocated space and offer to install Ubuntu alongside Windows in this space and format it to ext4 during setup.

Playing around with the OS files and partitioning can be tricky, backups are important, at least of essential files.

This is a mere summarization of the inputs by all the helpful people who replied to this thread.

@oldfred @sudodus @user68186 @C.S.Cameron @Nmath

user68186
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varungupta
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