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Opening this file, there is an Install folder containing only one file, mt86plus, which I believe is a memory test app. I could not find any way to start the installation on my new Lenovo computer running Windows 10. Was this a useless download?

Richard Silbar
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  • Does this answer your question? How do I install Ubuntu? – ChanganAuto Aug 08 '21 at 21:58
  • The ISO file is NOT to be opened. The same website you downloaded it from has instructions, by the way. – ChanganAuto Aug 08 '21 at 21:58
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    Please do not mislead the OP, It is possible to make a bootable USB that boots in UEFI mode just by extracting the ISO file to USB: https://askubuntu.com/a/1356288/43926. However to boot in BIOS mode you need to install GRUB or another bootloader. – C.S.Cameron Aug 09 '21 at 07:34
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    Richard: Your computer boots in UEFI mode, you can just extract the ISO file to a USB drive that is formatted FAT32. You should be able to boot this pressing F12. If there is a problem turn off Safe boot. – C.S.Cameron Aug 09 '21 at 11:49
  • @C.S. Please do not mislead the OP. You can't open the ISO in Windows 10 looking for an executable to install Ubuntu. The ISO needs to be flashed (or extracted) to a USB or DVD and then the system needs to be restarted to boot from the installation media in order to install Ubuntu on bare metal. The ISO file can also be used as an installation source if Ubuntu is to be installed into a VM. The ISO is not to be opened as if it is a compressed archive containing an executable installation file. – Nmath Aug 10 '21 at 17:32
  • @Nmath The OP has already opened the ISO file, all that is needed is to copy the contents to a USB. – C.S.Cameron Aug 11 '21 at 01:37
  • @C.S. try it and you fill find that the USB will not be bootable – Nmath Aug 11 '21 at 03:15
  • @Nmath: I have tried it many times and it is bootable. oldfred and others have also recommended this method. Note sudodus' comments to this recent answer: https://askubuntu.com/a/1356288/43926 I do not post answers that I have not tested. Have you tried it before saying that it doesn't work? – C.S.Cameron Aug 11 '21 at 04:13
  • @C.S. are you trolling? The question you linked does not provide the same instructions as you are advising in these comments... your answer there is not the same as what you are describing here... I think it's very obvious that OP is describing that they trying to open the ISO file on Windows 10 and looking for an executable inside the ISO that can be run on Windows to install Ubuntu while Windows is still running. It seems you want to troll and be deliberately obtuse, I have nothing further to add. Feel free to have the last word. This comment chain is pointless – Nmath Aug 11 '21 at 04:33
  • @Nmath: Quote: "How to install from ubuntu-20.04.2.0-desktop-amd64". I pointed to the easiest method for the OP to make an Ubuntu installer. It involves opening the ISO file, which you caution against. I'm not trolling, just trying to simplify things for the OP by stating the facts. – C.S.Cameron Aug 11 '21 at 05:27
  • I think I may have lied. You do not need to extract the ISO to a USB drive, you can extract it to a FAT32 partition on the internal drive and UEFI should boot it as Live installer okay. This would work for people who want to install Ubuntu but do not have a flash drive, or smart phone or working USB slots. – C.S.Cameron Aug 11 '21 at 08:09

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First, I thank everyone who responded and it helped. I have now got Ubuntu 20.04 installed and running on sda4 (Windows 10 on sda1). What worked was this.

My first successful step was following the instructions in the suggested "Creating bootable installation media for Ubuntu" which involved installing Rufus to do changes needed to my USB flash drive. I had already downloaded the .ini file for 20.04.2.0 and was able to copy it onto the drive.

Then, as suggested, I restarted and chose EUFI Partition1 and it went, after checking discs, to a Welcome Page. Making choices of language, etc., then I did a normal install, alongside the Windows Boot Manager. I took the default allocate of disk space: 547.5 Gb for files (sda3) and 451.4 Gb for Ubuntu (sda4). It then formatted partition #5 as ext4 and continued to asking me where I am (suggested Denver, which is OK for New Mexico). And then name, uname and password, etc. It began retrieving and unpacking files and, after some long time, came to "Installation Complete." Very smooth, thank you developers.

Restart gave me a log-in window and I proceeded from there. What I wasn't quite expecting was a 461 MB update, which also took some time. Then I went to lunch.

For what it's worth, something which I had earlier tried was to get and install Ubuntu (on drive C:) from Microsoft Store. I do not recommend that, as I could never get a graphical user interface, even after installing startx.

Richard Silbar
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You aren't supposed to open the ISO file.

You can follow the official tutorial for creating bootable installation media for Ubuntu.

If you intend to dual boot with Windows, you will need to have enough unpartitioned free space to install Ubuntu. At least 25 GB is the minimum recommendation.

If you intend to replace Windows, during the installation, you can instead choose to erase the disk to install Ubuntu.

Then you need to consult with the documentation for your computer's motherboard to restart your computer and boot from the USB installation media.

Choose "Install Ubuntu" and the guided installation will ask you questions and walk you through the system installation.

Nmath
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  • Why do you say "You aren't supposed to open the ISO file"? In this case the easiest way for the OP to make a bootable USB is just to extract the ISO to USB. It can be done in Windows or Linux. I would assume a new Lenovo computer boots UEFI. – C.S.Cameron Aug 10 '21 at 07:40
  • @C.S. OP is the one using this terminology as it relates to trying to find an executable to run in Windows 10. If you read the question, it's very clear that OP is trying to "open" the ISO file to find an executable that can be run from within Windows 10. Surely we are in agreement that you can't install Ubuntu this way. – Nmath Aug 10 '21 at 17:26
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Boot Ubuntu on Windows UEFI computer without USB or CD

  • Use Windows Disk Management to create FAT32 partition 3GB or larger.

  • Copy/Paste contents of ISO file to new partition.

  • Reboot pressing F12 and select UEFI Ubuntu.

  • Proceed to Ubuntu Installation.

C.S.Cameron
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