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I'm an Ubuntu newbie and I tried so far Ubuntu 22.04 LTS on an old notebook, it works properly. So, I have some basic skills now :-)

Now, I want to remove Win 10 from my "main" PC and change to Ubuntu. It has 1 HDD (1 TB) and a small SSD (12 GB). The HDD was partioned to C: and D:, where on C all programs including Win10 are installed, while on D - alls documents, videos, pictures etc. Both partions - NTFS. On the SSD I saved some backups (emails etc.), also NTFS. I want to keep the content of the present D: partion available to Ubuntu. Q: Should I install Ubuntu to the 12 GB SSD and merge the partions C and D of the HDD? If doing so, how can I access then in Ubuntu the files of the HDD?

Thanks in anticipation!

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Juergen H.
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  • Does this answer your question? Replace Windows 10 with Ubuntu – graham Sep 02 '22 at 20:13
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    The minimum system requirements for Ubuntu Desktop call for 25GB. Ubuntu handles NTFS natively and NTFS volumes will be mounted automatically. If they aren't, you can double click them in your file manager to open them just like you'd do in Windows. We can't advise you on opinion-based matters here. Questions soliciting opinions are off topic. Our Q&A format is also not suited for answering hypothetical problems that don't actually exist in the real world. – Nmath Sep 02 '22 at 20:13
  • If I were you, I'd backup all your data somewhere else. I'd also just remove the SSD and throw it out. A 25GB SSD just takes up physical space and doesn't do you any good. Then follow the official tutorial to install Ubuntu. When asked, choose the option to erase the disk to install Ubuntu. This will replace Windows. Then you can restore any data you backed up. Drive letters like "C" and "D" are irrelevant to Ubuntu as these are Windows designations used only within the Windows operating system. – Nmath Sep 02 '22 at 20:16

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When you boot from your USB device choose 'Try Ubuntu'. Try if all your hardware works properly.

If so, with GParted you can delete the Windows partition ( what Windows called 'C' . So it becomes unallocated space. Then during installation you can choose 'something else' when asked how you want to install Ubuntu. Choose the unallocated space to install on to. And then make an EXT4 partition for your Ubuntu installation. Then install it to that partition. Don't touch the rest of the partitions. Leave them NTFS, as Ubuntu can read and write to them. No problem whatsoever. Mounting them nowadays is just a question of clicking on them. Easy.

You cannot install Ubuntu to the 12 GB SSD as it is to small. You need a minimum of 25 GB ( and that is small when you keep your documents, music , videos and downloads etc. in the same partition). There are other distributions that can install to the 12 GB SSD, but the official Ubuntu family/flavours needs more space.

As always, have backups of your important files. Preferably more than one, on another disk(s) ( USB-HDD for example )/in another location (your parents/brother/sisters house/work ( my computers and my backups were stolen once by burglars )).

Joepie Es
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  • Thank you! That was helpful and exactly what I needed to know. And yes, I use to keep my file backups up-to-date on an external USB HDD, as well as sector-by-sector backups of my C partition (Acronis Backup). – Juergen H. Sep 04 '22 at 13:51
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    You can accept the answer by clicking on the V shaped icon, so other users can see that the question has been resolved. – Joepie Es Sep 05 '22 at 13:34