Wubi is no longer supported unfortunately. The key take away from that Wikipedia article is this:
Wubi (Windows-based Ubuntu Installer) was an official Windows-based free software installer for Ubuntu, from 2008 until 2015,[2] which allowed the installation of Ubuntu to a single file within an existing Windows partition.
Dual-booting is actually really fairly simple these days. Dual booting is, indeed, your only realistic option. Because each situation may be a little different, I won't expand on it at this time - unless you've a specific question. Instead, I'll refer you to this link where you can get more information.
I don't normally like to link to sites and not include any additional information, but that's the official Ubuntu site and is unlikely to change and is likely to be updated as new information is available.
Instead, let me just make sure to do the following - don't skip anything:
- Backup your data.
- Read the instructions carefully before doing anything.
- Read the instructions a second time and ask specific questions if you need help.
- Follow the instructions carefully and know what you're doing before you do it.
- The reason you want to try Linux is because you want something different. This means learning something new. Do not expect it to be the same and do not expect it to be easy (though it really is, just be patient with yourself).
- Be patient with yourself - go slow.
- If you make mistakes then don't worry, you backed up your data in Step 1.
- Before you even try to restore data, if you do make a mistake, it's probably a small and easy to fix problem.
- There's an excellent community online who will help you if you help us to help you and you're willing to put some work into it.
So, my suggestion, burn an ISO to DVD or use unetbootin
to make a USB thumbdrive to boot to. If you make a USB drive then make sure you format the disk with FAT32
to ensure that it boots. Give Linux a try in a Live OS situation, be patient, and see if you actually want to make the switch or go through with the dual boot process. There are a lot of choices and one of them might be the right choice for you. This will also be a good indicator of the compatibility of your hardware. While you're booted to the Live USB/DVD disk, you needn't worry about it doing anything to your Windows install. You can learn, use, and even install software. (By default, it will sit in RAM unless you've specifically set aside space with unetbootin
to retain persistent data.)
Here is a link to unetbootin
and it's self-evident with its use. There's a version for Windows, OS X, and Linux. You'll be wanting the Linux version. You can have it download ISOs for you or you can download the ISO yourself and then have it use the downloaded file to make the disk.