I've installed Linux on ordinary Windows laptops before, but I'm unsure whether the process is different on a Windows Pro machine. The laptop advertises enhanced encryption and security, and since it's a refurbished Lenovo, I'm nervous about changing BIOS settings or accidentally causing problems. Is installing Linux, either alongside Windows or instead of it, generally safe and straightforward?
2 Answers
A refurbished Lenovo should be fine as long as its hardware is supported. You can either dual-boot by shrinking the Windows partition and installing Linux in the available space, or erase Windows completely during setup. Back up important files first, and make sure you know your Windows recovery options before choosing the full-wipe option. Several refurbished Lenovo laptops run distributions such as Mint without any special trouble.
Windows Pro doesn’t fundamentally change how Linux is installed. The BIOS or UEFI firmware is separate from Windows, so the main thing to check is whether Secure Boot needs to be disabled for your chosen distribution. Many modern distributions support Secure Boot, but turning it off may be necessary in some cases. You normally won’t need to change much else.
That helps. I’ve forgotten a BIOS password before, so I’m always nervous about going in there, but it sounds like there shouldn’t be much to change.
So dual-booting is possible, but wiping Windows is also an option if I decide I don’t need it. I’ll make a backup before doing anything.