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As I have a broken laptop screen on a unit that does not show the BIOS or Ubuntu DVD installer on an external display, it's pretty difficult to complete the normal method of installation as I can't see what I'm doing, and I need to find and format the right partition, for example, which is waaay too risky to attempt while blind.

The unit in question uses Windows 7. Rumor has it that in the past there was something called Wubi, that allowed installation of Ubuntu from Windows. Does this still exist? If so, where can it be found? If not, is there an alternate way to install from within Windows?

EDIT

According to the linked post above there exists a community-maintained version of Wubi. I've however edited the question to accommodate a general dialogue on how to install on laptops with broken displays who don't use their external display ports before advanced graphics drivers are activated.

Using Samsung NP-N350-JA04, Ubuntu 16.04 mini.iso

lash
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  • Wubi has been discontinued a long time ago, it isn't compatible with Window 8 or newer. Ubuntu Forums even has a sticky about it saying it isn't supported there. Unfortunately there's no way around it, you need to somehow change the boot priority during post (and you won't be able to do that blind). Re: partitions (cont) –  Nov 05 '16 at 02:17
  • You don't need to "find and format the right partition". You need to have unallocated space (!=partition) to install Ubuntu in dual boot and that can (and should) be achieved by shrinking one or more Windows partitions, from Windows, using Windows tools. –  Nov 05 '16 at 02:20
  • Alternatively you can install Ubuntu in a virtual machine. The performance will be roughly the same as with Wubi if you could use it. –  Nov 05 '16 at 02:26
  • @CelticWarrior but the screen where I choose where to install Ubuntu is also not visible for me during install. Does the choice of using unallocated space have a predictable position in the menu, so I can "blindly" select it? – lash Nov 05 '16 at 10:45

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Wubi is no longer supported, for installing Ubuntu you can remove your hard drive, insert it into another laptop or use a hard drive reader, then install Ubuntu.

Fcmam5
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  • lash has a laptop with a broken laptop screen on a unit that does not show the BIOS. If lash needs to change anything in the BIOS settings after switching hard drives, then he won't be able to do it. – karel Nov 05 '16 at 08:16
  • For automatic hardware detection etc inserting it into another unit won't help much, really. – lash Nov 05 '16 at 10:43