Windows XP and ubuntu installation

The number one thing to do is backup all of your important documents and images. You can burn them to a CD, copy them to a USB thumbdrive, external hdd, email them to yourself(I use gmail, lots of storage space) or even floppies, but ensure that you have all of your important data backed up(even if you are not switching operating systems).

As far as going back to Windows, it makes it somewhat difficult if you do not have the install/restore disks. If you have a valid license key, you can see about borrowing an install CD from a friend that has the same version as your license key allows.

Another option(and what I would do) as far as reinstalling Windows if you decide to go back. Usually there is a folder on your hard drive that has all of the information from the original CD. It is the i386 folder, usually located in the root directory or in the windows directory. You can use a free program called nLite from http://www.nliteos.com that can use this folder to 'recreate' a bootable install CD for you.

Yet another option would be creating a 'image' of your disk using something like Norton Ghost to do so.

Also, there is a newer release for Ubuntu, 6.10

The spec of that PC is a bit low for full enjoyment of Ubuntu. Firstly you have a relatively slow CPU. Whilst Ubuntu will run, it will be quite slow. The hard disk is also not very large. Generally in a dual boot environment (where you choose whether to boot into Windows or Ubuntu at boot up) it's recommended you set aside 10GB for Ubuntu. As 10GB is the size of your entire disk you would need to reduce that value. I would be willing to bet that you don't have enough free space to reduce the Windows partition down to make enough room for Ubuntu.

That said, most of your questions are answered by the following web page:-

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot

HI Alan

thanks for your response

now ... if I back-up the info I need to keep and then have ubuntu erase
everything for a clean install .. will the ubuntu OS operate more
effectively? we need a "leaner" experience.

The reason I ask is because Windows XP does not seem to be the ideal OS
for this system (it came with it when we bought it - ebay - and only
with 128 RAM ... we just bumped it up to 256). ubuntu was recommended
as an alternative.

We only need to use it for basic word processing, web surfing, email,
and some elementary image and sound manipulation.

or are we barking up the wrong tree with ubuntu?

thanks

On Wednesday, December 6, 2006, at 03:35 AM, Alan Pope wrote:

> Your support request #2715 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+ticket/2715
>
> Alan Pope proposed the following answer:
> The spec of that PC is a bit low for full enjoyment of Ubuntu. Firstly
> you have a relatively slow CPU. Whilst Ubuntu will run, it will be
> quite
> slow. The hard disk is also not very large. Generally in a dual boot
> environment (where you choose whether to boot into Windows or Ubuntu at
> boot up) it's recommended you set aside 10GB for Ubuntu. As 10GB is the
> size of your entire disk you would need to reduce that value. I would
> be
> willing to bet that you don't have enough free space to reduce the
> Windows partition down to make enough room for Ubuntu.
>
> That said, most of your questions are answered by the following web
> page:-
>
> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot
>
> _______________________________________________________________________
> If this answers your request, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+ticket/2715/+confirm?answer_id=1
>
> If you still need support, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+ticket/2715
>

A clean install seems the most sensible way to go in my opinion. (but then I would say that :) )

Not barking up the wrong tree at all. It's just not the most rapid machine on the planet that's all. 256MB is about the minimum you can get away with, with Ubuntu. However there are some options to explore when you have a lean machine like that.

You might want to take a look at this page which details what to do with low-ish spec computers.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/LowMemorySystems

I'd take on board the advice about lightweight window managers like XFCE, smaller word processors like Abiword and less memory hungry browsers like Epiphany.

Hope that helps.

Hello Alan,

I am writing to ask how to install Ubuntu on a n older computer that has Windows XP. I have downloaded UBUNTU-6.06.1-desktop-i386.iso.

Trying to wake it up, Windows asks what program I would like to use and offers some pretty useless options, like open it in IE or Notepad.

I presume, reading the Ubuntu literature, that the Ubuntu installation will remove Windows, but how do I get the "Ubuntu ... exe" started ?

Muchas gracias from Guatemala,

Thank you, Tomas

Hello Alan,

I am writing to ask how to install Ubuntu on a n older computer that has Windows XP. I have downloaded UBUNTU-6.06.1-desktop-i386.iso.

Trying to wake it up, Windows asks what program I would like to use and offers some pretty useless options, like open it in IE or Notepad.

I presume, reading the Ubuntu literature, that the Ubuntu installation will remove Windows, but how do I get the "Ubuntu ... exe" started ?

Muchas gracias from Guatemala,

Thank you, Tomas

Tomas, I would recommend you watch this video:-

http://doc.ubuntu.com/screencasts/Installing_Ubuntu_with_Windows_Dual-Boot

Thomas, also, you might want to open your own support request rather then post in someone elses. It creates a bit of confusion when done that way. As far as what to do with the ISO file, please refer to https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto