Should I remove Windows 10 when I install Linux Mint?

If you don't need Windows or any of the files on the drive, wiping it during the Mint installation is the simplest option. The installer has an erase disk and install option, so there's no need to partition it first and remove Windows later.

Check with anyone else who might have used the laptop, and back up anything worth keeping before you choose that option. Double-check that the installer is targeting the right drive. Erasing it removes the existing data as well as Windows.

Not sure yet? Boot Mint from the USB first and try the live session without installing it. Check the Wi-Fi, sound, keyboard and anything else you use regularly. That gives you a chance to see how it runs before changing the drive.

Keeping Windows alongside Mint makes sense if there's a Windows program you still need or you want time to decide. You can choose which system to boot, but sharing the drive means dealing with partitions and leaving enough space for both.

If you're confident you won't use Windows again, that's extra work you can skip. Either way, back up your files before changing partitions.

Check the laptop's processor architecture before you get too far. A particularly old machine might be 32-bit, which current Linux Mint releases don't support. If that's the case, you'll need a distribution that still offers a 32-bit version.

Think about the software you need, not just the operating system. LibreOffice is an option for everyday documents, but complicated Microsoft Office files, especially advanced spreadsheets, may not work the same way. Test any must-have files before wiping Windows.