I'm thinking about switching to Linux Mint and have a couple of things I need to sort out before diving in. I've got two drives in my laptop: an SSD where Windows is installed (let's call it the C: drive), and an HDD that stores my documents and some apps (the D: drive). I was initially going to dual boot, but after getting my laptop repaired, the SSD now has a fresh Windows installation. Now, I'm considering just installing Linux Mint on the C: drive instead. My concern is, could anything on my D: drive affect the installation or usage of Linux? Is there anything specific I should check or do before I go ahead with the installation?
4 Answers
Always back up first! Installing Linux on the SSD will only wipe what's on that drive; it won't touch your HDD unless you tell it to. Just be extra careful and make sure you know your drives during the setup.
First and foremost, if you have important files, make sure you back them up! Drives are unpredictable. If you're worried about the installation affecting your HDD, consider physically disconnecting it while you install Linux on the SSD. Just remember to shut down Windows properly before doing this, to ensure the D: drive is properly dismounted—no hibernating or fast startup!
When installing Linux, it only affects the drive you specifically select, so make sure to choose the SSD during installation. Just be cautious about identifying the drives, as they won’t be labeled C: and D: in the installer like in Windows. It’s a good idea to double-check which drive is which.
To clarify, C: and D: are actually partitions in Windows, but in your case, they’re on different physical drives. So just ensure to identify them correctly in the Linux installer, which uses a different naming convention compared to Windows.
Exactly! I have two separate physical drives, not just partitions. So I’ll be careful to differentiate them during the install.
Good tip about backing up! You might also want to defragment your HDD and check it for errors using Windows. Linux can work with NTFS, but it's best if everything's in good shape first.