I'm planning to replace Windows 10 with Linux on my old laptop. Windows is currently installed on the C: partition, and I also have a D: partition containing data. If I install Linux only on C:, will the D: partition be erased too? The partitions are on the same SSD, and I don't currently have an external backup. Is there a safe way to disable or protect D: during installation and access it normally afterward?
4 Answers
For extra protection, disconnect the other physical drive if you have two separate drives. If C: and D: are merely partitions on one SSD, you cannot physically disconnect just D:. You can still leave it alone in the installer, and it does not need to be formatted for Linux to install elsewhere.
C: and D: are usually partitions, not necessarily separate physical drives. If both are partitions on the same SSD, installing Linux to the C: partition can preserve D:, but only if you select the correct partition and avoid formatting the entire disk. Making the wrong choice in the installer can erase both.
The D: partition should remain untouched as long as you carefully select only the space or partition intended for Linux. However, Linux installers use names such as /dev/sda and /dev/sdb rather than C: and D:, so identify the correct partition by its size and existing filesystem before confirming anything. If you accidentally choose the whole disk, every partition on that disk could be erased.
Do not start until you have a verified backup of anything important. A cloud backup is better than nothing, but make sure the files actually finished uploading and can be recovered. Installing an operating system always carries some risk, especially when resizing or deleting partitions. If possible, shrink the Windows partition first and install Linux into the resulting unallocated space.
So I can disable or disconnect the D: partition during installation and enable or use it normally afterward?