Wubi

Do I need to uninstall Wubi 11.10 in order to upgrade to 12.04?

Asked by Jeff Fox

Do I need to uninstall Wubi 11.10 in order to upgrade to 12.04? How can I go about upgrading to the new OS without completely uninstalling the wubi and using the new Ubuntu installer inside windows? Or would that just be easier? Haven't found a straight forward answer, Ive been using 11.10, but im not very familiar with ubuntu, so please go easy on me! Thanks in advance.

Jeff

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Solved
For:
Wubi Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Solved by:
Alessandro Menti
Solved:
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
Best Alessandro Menti (elgaton) said : 		#1

It's possible to update easily by booting into Ubuntu and choosing to upgrade to the new 12.04 release from the Update Manager when prompted - no need to uninstall and install Wubi again.

Before upgrading, you should backup the folder on C: where Ubuntu is installed (it should be "C:\Ubuntu", if I remember correctly). Also, have a Windows installation DVD or Rescue CD handy, in case something goes wrong, so that you'll be able to restore the boot manager if needed.

Revision history for this message
Jeff Fox (korinzu) said : 		#2

I have windows Vista 64-bit OS, and it came preinstalled on my laptop. They didn't provide me with a WinCD, but i'll see if I can create one without the need for that. Also how do I make a bankup of the ubuntu folder? Just copy and paste it on a USB flash drive? And finally my last question is this: When I upgrade inside of Ubunut, will it "break" the wubi install in windows so I can't 'uninstall' via programs manager? Thanks again for the help Alessandro!

Revision history for this message
Jeff Fox (korinzu) said : 		#3

Thanks Alessandro Menti, that solved my question.

Revision history for this message
Alessandro Menti (elgaton) said : 		#4

For the Windows CD, look for the Windows utility named "Create Recovery Disc" in the Start Menu, it should create a basic recovery disk (not a full one that allows your system to be restored to factory settings, just a small set of repair tools, but it's definitely enough for our purpose).

As for your second and third questions, from the Wubi point of view your Ubuntu installation is just made of the Ubuntu folder on your C: drive (plus some additional settings), so 1) it can be backed up simply by copying it to a USB thumb drive and 2) the Ubuntu upgrade will not break your Wubi installation.

If you have any further questions, just let me know.

Revision history for this message
Jeff Fox (korinzu) said : 		#5

ok perfect! thanks soooooo much!

Revision history for this message
Jeff Fox (korinzu) said : 		#6

OK so im trying to create the windows restore disc, it says I need a valid windows Vista CD, but that wasn't provided to me upon purchasing my laptop with vista pre-installed. do however have what looks to be a hidden 'repair or backup' partition, which came with it. Would that work instead of the recovery disc, since it appears I can't even make one without a Vista CD....

Also the Ubuntu folder is 20gb?! I have to copy all of that in order to back it up?! Holy smokes? Is there another way to back that info up?

Revision history for this message
bcbc (bcbc) said : 		#7

You can create a full backup of the root.disk that will be about the size of space you're using on your current install. So, if you're only using 8GB of your 20GB root.disk, you can create a fully bootable backup that's about 9GB. See here for more info: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ResizeandDuplicateWubiDisk
Note - if you're using the above guide for a backup, don't rename the root.disk/new.disk following the resize. Just keep the new.disk as a backup.

Alternatively, you can just backup your data if there's not too much customization and then do a fresh install if it fails.

Backup tips:
Have >3GB free space
Remove custom graphics drivers and ppa's prior to upgrade and reinstall after upgrading

The backup shouldn't affect Windows - that used to be an issue with Wubi & grub but not anymore. If you're concerned, burn a Windows Repair CD from your Windows install (that shouldn't give you any trouble).