How do I dual boot?

Question

I have windows 10 installed on my pc. It was originally windows 8. I was wondering how to dual boot with Ubuntu. I want Ubuntu to be default but I still want to keep windows so I can play video games without paying for a VM. Is it as easy as hitting the Ubuntu download button and selecting an option for dual boot? Also, why do I need to download Ubuntu to a USB drive? I just want it installed on my computer and if I need to change back to windows for gaming then have that option at startup.

score 2 · Answer 1 · edited Jun 12 '20 at 14:37

Question: "Is it as easy as hitting the Ubuntu download button and selecting an option for dual boot?"

Answer: No

Question: "why do I need to download Ubuntu to a USB drive?"

Answer: You can't install Ubuntu from inside Windows. (Well, techincally there's Wubi, but do not use it) You need to burn the ISO to a USB drive or DVD because you need to be able to boot the computer from the ISO. As the BIOS isn't smart enough to be able to read the ISO directly from the disk, you have to boot it from some other medium.

How do I dual boot?

1 Answers1

Read this, or else you'll be doomed to failure, frustration, and possible data loss.