As we have already discussed the easiest way to install Ubuntu Linux within your Windows operating system, there are a few actions that are highly recommended to perform before beginning the installation process. These actions are not essential, but performing them can certainly improve your Linux experience.
Space for Linux
The minimum space required for installing Ubuntu Linux is around 5Gigabyte of disk space. However, if you want to experience a trouble-free, smooth and fast operating system, make sure you have plenty of space available before the installation. Generally speaking, hard drives have become extremely cheap in the recent past and most computer users now have hundreds of Gigabytes available on their computer system. So, according to my personal choice, I would like to have at least 20 to 40 Gigabytes of disk space on my hard drive before installing Ubuntu. Nevertheless, even if you have 10 Gigabyte disk space, you can still enjoy the Linux experience. But, if you have more space, there are less chances of getting your system slow and suffocated.
Check Your Hard Drive for Error & Virus
It is also recommended to check your hard drive for disk errors and viruses before installing Ubuntu. A corrupted file system or hard drive sectors can easily cause loss of data or data corruption. So, make sure you run a thorough error check in Windows before the installation.
If you are not familiar with the process, click the Windows logo on the task bar or press the Windows key of your keyboard.
Windows Start Logo
And, type “cmd” and then, press the “Enter” key.
Start Menu
Now, type “C:” and press “Enter” to make sure you have chosen the targeted hard drive partition. After that, type “chkdsk /f” and press “Enter”.
“Chkdsk” Command
A message will appear that “Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Would you like to schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? <Y/N>”. So, type “Y” and press “Enter” to schedule the task.
Restart the computer and the Windows will start checking your disk for errors.
Once your hard drive is checked for errors, run a full system scan with your favorite antivirus software.
Defragmentation
Last, but certainly not the least, installing Ubuntu within Windows operating system creates large sized files in your selected hard drive partition. So, it is necessary that your hard drive is not fragmented. Therefore, you must defragment your hard drive for having a faster and smoother Linux experience.
You can easily defragment your hard drive by using the default disk defragment tool by Windows. To run this tool, press the “Windows” key of your keyboard and type “Disk Defragmenter” and press “Enter”.
Running Windows Disk Defragmenter Tool
Select all the partitions and click “Defragment Disks” to begin the defragmentation process.
Windows Disk Defragmenter Tool
So, these are a few of the recommended actions before the installation that can enhance your Ubuntu Linux experience.
Screenshots by: Zealous.Zaryab