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I am using Windows8 and now I am trying to install Ubuntu alongside my Windows8 .My professor has warned that i might lose all my data in the hard disk.Will I lose the data ?

user309311
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2 Answers2

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Installing Ubuntu as a dual-boot option alongside Windows requires your hard drive to be re-partitioned. Re-partitioning a drive is a potential risk for your data (this is not related to Ubuntu, it is always risky!). In case you are not familiar with disk partitioning this risk will be considerable.

Please backup all your data before you install any other OS

Only after that you will be able to recover in case anything goes wrong accidentally.

Then you may be able to install Ubuntu as outlined here:

The default installer should take care to make space for Ubuntu in your partition layout. In case you feel more comfortable in partitioning from Windows it is recommended to leave an unpartitioned space on your drive to hold Ubuntu. The installer will then create at least two new partitions on installing Ubuntu there.

In any case as soon as you told the installer to "replace" an OS or "erase" a disk it will inevitably repartition your hard drive(s) to remove all the content there. Then only those parts that were not overwritten may be recovered using forensic tools.

Please also note:

  • Ubuntu can't read an encrypted drive
  • Ubuntu can't read Windows dynamic disks
  • Do not hibernate Windows before installing (this includes the Windows fast-boot option!)
  • If in doubt or anything appears weird: don't continue. Ask somebody for help.

Last not least: don't worry too much. In the usual case nothing bad happens. Ubuntu just installs fine as dual-boot without any issues in the very most cases.

Takkat
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You may lose your data indeed. But if you are careful enough, you will not. First of all back everything up. Then, if you have enough free space, allocate partitions for Ubuntu OS. If you don't, try shrinking existing partitions using GParted or some other tool(there are plenty of those for windows too, google it), and allocate Ubuntu partitions there. I usually did this step during installation of Ubuntu. In the end I had all my windows data safe and Ubuntu running. But, nonetheless, do backups, you never know what may go wrong.

wirm
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