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So at this point in the Ubuntu installation, it gives you an option to "Erase disk and install Ubuntu"

But it says below it will delete files in all operating systems:

Ubuntu Installation

I have two disks, one with Windows and one with Fedora. I want to switch from Fedora to Ubuntu, but I do NOT want to get rid of my Windows, I want that disk completely unaffected.

Will this option in the installer erase my Windows as well, even if I don't select the Windows disk in the next window to install Ubuntu on?

Or will this option only delete the operating from the disk I choose in the next window?

Ran Shorowitz
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  • @muru kind of but not really. They're talking about one specific hard drive. I'm talking about when you have two hard drives connected, will that "Erase disk" option affect both hard drives? – Ran Shorowitz Sep 12 '21 at 06:32
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    Then: https://askubuntu.com/questions/1114178/ubuntu-installer-with-two-disks-whihc-one-will-be-selected-by-erase-disk-and-i – muru Sep 12 '21 at 06:34
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    Yes and No. It will erase systems that are on the physical disk, but your system may have two drives, four drives, eight or more.. so how can we know? By two drives, do you mean drives? or just partitions as they are different things (Microsoft did a disservice to the community by calling partitions drives; they acknowledged that long ago.. but have tried to correct it since; though most of the non-microsoft windows user media still use the term drives instead of partitions). – guiverc Sep 12 '21 at 06:50
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    You can't break anything if your Windows disk is unplugged during installation. - Unplug Windows hard drive. Install Ubuntu on second hard drive, in same BIOS/UEFI mode as Windows. Plug Windows drive back in. Boot Ubuntu hard drive. In Terminal run: sudo update-grub This should automatically add a Windows menuentry to the grub boot menu. You can change back to Windows bootloader, using BIOS if desired. – C.S.Cameron Sep 13 '21 at 07:50

1 Answers1

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You have a few options. You can physically disconnect the disk with Windows before installing Ubuntu so that you can use this "Erase disk and install Ubuntu" option, then reconnect the disk after installation. You will need to update GRUB so that Windows is an option in the GRUB bootloader.

But the better option would be to format the disk with Fedora before you start the Ubuntu installation. You can do this in the Disks applications from the live session (Try Ubuntu).

If you have unpartitioned free space, you will get a guided installation option to "Install Ubuntu alongside Windows", which avoids the problem of having to manually partition and also will set up GRUB with both operating systems.

If Windows is installed as UEFI, make sure you use GPT partitioning and boot the Ubuntu installation media as UEFI.

Of course you should be aware that people make mistakes so you should always have sufficient backups, especially when making changes to partitions or installing/uninstalling operating systems.

Nmath
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  • I basically just want to know if that "Erase disk and install Ubuntu" option will erase data on all connected hard drives or just the one you pick on the next page?

    If I have two hard drives, one with Windows and one with Linux, and I choose on the next page the drive that contains Linux, will it also erase the data on the Windows hard drive?

     – Ran Shorowitz Sep 12 '21 at 06:33
  • Yes it will erase the disk. I'm not sure if gives you a choice when there are multiple disks. I would not use that option without physically disconnecting the hard drive you don't want to erase – Nmath Sep 12 '21 at 06:46