INSTALLING UBUNTU ALONGSIDE WINDOWS 7

Installation steps for a dual boot setup

    So first insert the installation media into the computer and boot from it. Further steps are as mentioned below. Please note that the only different between the steps that follow from those mentioned in the "installing Ubuntu on a Machine with No OS" are those which are related to partitioning. We won't repeat them here in detail but only refer to the previous one (with a brief inline description of the step).

Step 1: Choose your language. This step is the same as Step 1 of procedure for Ubuntu installation without an OS.

Step 2: On the next screen, ubiquity will recommend system requirements and tell you whether your system meets them all or not. It basically shows you the following requirements:

• 4.4 GB disk space - This is perhaps the only stringent requirement by Ubuntu. You should make sure that your hard disk has at least that much space. Of course the bigger, the better.
• Is connected to power source - This is not a very hardcore requirement. All Ubuntu wants to say here is: "please ensure power supply is not turned off when installing".
• Is connected to internet - Although this too is not necessity, Ubuntu could use your internet connection to download updates and extra media codecs (both are options provided on the screen) over the internet. This will ensure that your OS is brand new and updated when installation finally finishes.

          Just make sure that Ubuntu is ready to be installed and press the "Forward" button again to go to next step.

Step 3: In this step, Ubuntu will ask you how you want to install Ubuntu. It shows you three options:

• Install Ubuntu alongside Windows 7: This is the most suitable option for us. When you select this option, Ubuntu looks into each partition, sees how much drive space is available and selects one which suits the best. Upon selecting it and pressing 'Forward', you will be allowed to set the amount of space you want to allocate for Ubuntu on the selected drive; usually it's the one with most amount of space available.

          The screen which offer you to allot the space to Ubuntu by re-sizing the selected partition, will also provide a link to the advanced partitioning tool. It's the same screen that appears when you select the 'Something else' option.

• Replace Windows 7 with Ubuntu: We don't want this. This will remove the contents of the Windows 7 partition. This may contain all your music, pictures, documents and videos kept in the default folders and Windows programs, along with the OS itself. Do this only if you really want to remove Windows.
• Something else: This option will take you to the advanced partitioning tool. Using this tool, you can delete, resize and create new partitions. It's recommended (only) for advanced users who want more control over how much space is to be allocated to each Linux volume, file systems to be used and so on.

          To use this option, you must be knowledgeable enough to understand the limitations of hard disk structures and file systems. Here are a few questions to help you determine whether you should be using this option or not:

• Do you know that most computers use a partitioning style called MBR?
• Did you know that there the sum of number of primary and extended partitions can't exceed 4?
• Did you know that a new install requires a new partition and that primary partitions are more preferred for the /boot partition?
• Did you know that resizing a NTFS partition can take a lot of time?
• Do you understand the differences between the primary, extended and logical partitions?

          If answers of all the questions above is 'yes', you might be a suitable candidate for using the advanced partitioning tool. If, however, any answer is a 'no', we suggest you allow Ubuntu to take a wiser decision by selecting "Install Ubuntu alongside Windows 7". Unless you are in a mood to experiment with partitioning and understand the fact that a failed experiment might result in total loss of data with an unbootable fate, you should select the first option and let Ubuntu take decisions on its own. Even if all the answers for the questions above are 'yes' but you still get stuck at some error or message shown by Ubuntu during partitioning, you should select the first option (Install Ubuntu alongside Windows 7) to let Ubuntu decide the best option.
       If you are about to make the partitions yourself, do make sure that you allot about 1.5 to 3.0 times the installed RAM as swap area. Although lesser can also be used, allocating the swap area based on this calculation promises better performance.
      Upon selection of the right choice and creating partitions, click on 'Install now' and installation  will start straight away.
     The rest of the steps are the same as for my previous post "How to install Ubuntu?". Mention them here for an easy reference.

Step 4: Choose your timezone and click 'Forward'.

Step 5: Select your keyboard layout.

Step 6: Enter your name, a username, password, machine name and choose auto login option.

Step 7: Wait while Ubuntu downloads the package list or skip the step and reboot the system after installation completes.
    Upon following these steps, you will be able to boot into the Windows or Ubuntu by selecting one from the boot menu.

THINGS YOU MUST KNOW WHILE INSTALLING UBUNTU AS A DUAL-BOOT SETUP

Installing as a dual-boot setup

       If you are already using Windows, chances are high that you won't take a plunging leap by removing it and installing Ubuntu on your machine. You want to have the best of both worlds and will finally shift to Ubuntu only when you are satisfied that it will fit your needs. Till that day you'd use Windows and try out Ubuntu only for a change.

       Any operating system requires a separate partition to be installed. This is the case because it might need files with the same name and path, and also because file systems might vary for different operating systems. While Ubuntu can read and write on Windows file systems (FAT32/ NTFS), it can't be installed on partitions formatted with any one of them. It's important that Ubuntu receives its own partition.

To partition or not to partition ?

   There's something unique about Ubuntu. While it's mandatory for any OS have its own separate installation partition, Ubuntu can be installed as an application over Windows. Thanks to the brilliant Wubi and sister teams at Ubuntu who hard to create Wubi, the Windows installer for Ubuntu. With Wubi, you can install Ubuntu onto the current Windows installation just as another software application. It will bring Ubuntu into the Windows OS selection menu and you can boot into Ubuntu right from there. Easy and intuitive, isn't it?

    However, there are a few problems with such a Wubi installation, which you should be aware of. Ubuntu installed via Wubi:

• Doesn't start if Windows didn't shut down properly od if its installation volume wasn't clean upon a system reboot.
• Will suffer disk performance, more so when the installation file gets fragmented.
• Put you at the risk of a broken installation thanks to updates and corrupting the Windows bootloader at times (this is the most dangerous one).
• Prevents you from hibernating your machine.

    Apart from these small problems, installing Ubuntu using Wubi is great as it allows you to test it on your real machine without problems and also allows you to remove it just like any other program. No hassles of partitioning, resetting the bootloaders etc. In case you want to remove Ubuntu some days later, just head to the control panel and uninstall Ubuntu. Now that's what we call 'easy'.

    However, if you don't want to face the problems mentioned above and still want to utilize and enjoy the experience Ubuntu promises you, partitioning is required. Don't fear, however, because it's  not very difficult to do so. All you have to know are a few basic facts about Linux partitions.

What partitions to make

   Before we get into details, let's talk about partitions required first. Linux, unlike Windows, can utilize more than one partitions to spread its contents and load. Although this is not mandatory, it allows you to extract better performance from the machine. The absolute requirement is the root partition which is denoted by ' / ' characters. All files on any other partition are made to reside within this partition alone. While Windows can allow you to have more than one 'drive' , Linux will give you the same functionality by putting the partition in different folders used as 'mount point' for those partitions (or volumes).
  Aside from the / partition, Linux will also strongly recommend creating a swap partition which does the same work as that done by the Windows pagefile.sys C: drive. It allows the OS to run programs whose memory requirements exceed the available amount of RAM. While there is a way to use the Windows method (use a file instead of a partition for paging), it is recommended to use a separate partition for the swap. It's possible to make other partitions like /var (for storing files which change frequently), /boot (boot files like kernel, ramdisk image, boot menu files etc), /usr (for installing most programs; it's similar to the program files folder for Windows) and any other to make the Windows partitions (NTFS partitions) available under Linux. However they are neither mandatory nor strongly recommended. we will show you the Ubuntu installation alongside Windows (using Windows 7 as example on my next blog) with creation of root ( / )partition and a swap partition.

Ok then time is ticking, so will tell you the "Installation steps for a dual boot setup" on my next blog.. Thanks for reading, keep supporting....

HOW TO INSTALL UBUNDU ?

       To use any Ubuntu operating system, you don't have to necessarily install it . Ubuntu can be used directly from a USB drive or a DVD. Just boot the computer with the media and you will find a usable desktop right away. However, a lot of functionality in the live mode is limited by the transfer speeds and space available on the USB drive. You can't store all the software on a USB stick. In case you are using a DVD or a CD as boot media, you are in a much restricted environment and won't be able to install new software. So although installation is not a requirement, it is certainly recommended as a method to enjoy your freedom to the fullest.
     If you've got this far and are reading this very sentence, we believe you are already in a mood to pop in a Ubuntu disk and fire an installation procedure for Ubuntu under different conditions.

Installing Ubuntu as a standalone OS

  If you want to use Windows on your PC, you will have to install it before Ubuntu. If you install Windows after Ubuntu, it will erase the bootloader created by Ubuntu. Although Ubuntu would still remain installed, it simply wouldn't be bootable! Windows doesn't add Ubuntu to its boot menu if it finds the Linux OS on the disk while being installed. Ubuntu, on the other hand acknowledges and respects the existence of Windows on a machine and adds it to its boot menu.

     To install Ubuntu on a machine without any operating systems, follow the regular procedure: insert the boot media (CD/DVD/USB drive) and boot the computer with it. You'll eventually arrive at the Ubuntu desktop, which, as we've already said, is very much usable as a complete system in itself. Before beginning the installation, take a backup, so that our installation is beneficial and not harmful to us. On the desktop you'll find a shortcut to the installer (it's called ubiquity). Simply double-click it and the installer will pop up asking questions (we'll call them steps to install Ubuntu):

Step 1: Choose your language. Since you are reading this, we assume you'd choose "English" on that screen and press the "Forward" button.

Step 2: On the next screen, ubiquity will recommend system requirements and tell you whether your system meets them all or not. It basically shows you the following requirements:

• 4.4 GB disk space - This is perhaps the only stringent requirement by Ubuntu. You should make sure that your hard disk has at least that much space. Of course the bigger, the better.
• Is connected to power source - This is not a very hardcore requirement. All Ubuntu wants to say here is: "please ensure power supply is not turned off when installing".
• Is connected to internet - Although this too is not necessity, Ubuntu could use your internet connection to download updates and extra media codecs (both are options provided on the screen) over the internet. This will ensure that your OS is brand new and updated when installation finally finishes.

          Just make sure that Ubuntu is ready to be installed and press the "Forward" button again to go to next step.

Step 3: In the next step, ubiquity will offer you two options: "Erase entire disk and install Ubuntu" and "Something else". Unless you have files which you'd like to have on disk, go with the first option. It tells Ubuntu to utilize the complete disk space and decide what's best for your system. Ubuntu will create its own root ( / ) partition, a swap partition and install itself on the " / " partition.
           If however you have something to save, choose the 'Something else' option and that would get you to to a simple but powerful partition editor where you can choose the disk you want to partition (in case you have more than one)and then create or edit partitions on it. We've discussed more about this in the "Installation steps for a dual-boot setup" section where it's more relevant.
          That's simple. Now click the obvious Forward button again. You'll be asked to confirm the settings once more. Then click on the 'Install now' button. Installer will disable its controls for some time while it formats the partitions for installation and then returns asking you another question.

Step 4: Installation at this point of time would already be running. While installation is still in progress, Ubuntu will ask you to enter information required after installation. This includes your time zone and country.

Step 5: Select your keyboard layout. If you are unsure, you can click the 'Detect keyboard layout' button and that would help you select the right one. In almost all cases it's the USA keyboard layout which we use. Click 'Forward'.

Step 6: Enter your name, your username (Ubuntu will automatically make your first name your username, through you can change it), computer's name (useful for a networked setup) and password for the user. Ubuntu will warn you if you choose a weak password. You can still use it. However, it's always good to have a stronger password (more than 8 characters, mixed case, special characters and digits included). You may also choose to automatically log in when the computer starts. Remember the password you enter here. Ubuntu will not offer you the luxury of forgetting it nor will it offer you a 'forget password' option.

Step 7: If you are connected to the internet, it will download the package list so that you are ready to install new software as and when you reboot. If you want, you can stop this process by clicking the 'Skip' button which reveals when you click on the line showing the current status. Oh, and if you'd allow Ubuntu to get the latest list of software, it will show you a slideshow of its best features by the time.

Step 8: There is no step 8. Ubuntu is installed. Just restart the system! Enjoy Ubuntu!
  On my next blog tell u installing Ubuntu as a dual-boot setup..

HOW TO SPEED UP YOUR PC ?

                 After repetitive frequent usage of a computer, system maintenance becomes absolutely necessary. It's required to increase the speed and efficiency of your system. There are many standalone single purpose computer maintenance software like registry cleaners, spyware and malware cleaners, uninstall managers, start up managers and disk space allocation managers. But incidentally all these software have only one primary goal, helping you optimize the performance of your computer to its maximum possible capabilities. Glary Utilities is a one-stop computer maintenance software that can do almost all of the tasks mentioned above. This software combines all computer maintenance tools into one simple, fast and friendly user interface.
               Glary Utilities objective is to help you optimize, clean and speed up your Windows computer. All the tools in Glary Utilities are split up into five different categories depending on the function or job to be performed.

Clean up and Repair

             The utilities offered under the Clean Up and Repair module are primarily tools to help you clean junk files and correct computer problems.

• The Disk Cleaner is a tool which works better than the Window Disk Clean-up function and lets you remove all the junk data contained in your disks. It also helps in recovering disk space by getting rid of the useless temporary files which might be clogging your disk space.
• The Registry Cleaner tool cleans up and deletes all unwanted registry entries of malware or uninstalles software which might be slowing down your system. To prevent any unwanted results, it also lets you backup the deleted entries which can be recovered at a later date if required.
• The Shortcuts fixer tool scans through your entire computer for shortcut files which might need to be fixed and point to a different locations. It also detects shortcuts which no longer are valid and lets you delete them from your system.
• The Uninstall Manager works like the Windows Ass and Remove Programs but it has better features, including the ability to let you uninstall Windows program one by one or in a batch.

Optimize and Improve

                 The tools present in the Optimize and Improve module can be used to improve the speed and performance level of the machine.

• The Startup Manager gives you a list of all the programs which are scheduled to launch and start immediately after you switch on your computer and your operating system is loaded. You can remove or add Windows startup entries for a more efficient startup.
• The Memory Optimizer tool lets you any free or unused memory quickly, in manual or automatic mode. Simply indicate the amount of memory you want to free up and then click "Optimize" to free up that much memory which we made available for immediate usage.It also shows you a graph of the physical memory usage.
• The Context Menu Manager manages the context menu entries for the files and folders on your computer. It can be used to remove useless or obtrusive right-click menu entries for any particular file type in windows.
• The Registry Defrag tool, just like the windows disk defragmenter which defragments files on disk to speed up disk usages, lets you defragment your registry for faster system performance.

Privacy and Security

                 This module provides the user with the tools to secure and keep their system privacy intact.

• The Track Eraser helps you maintain your privacy and remove any traces and details of your internet usage and surfing history. It cleans all the cookies, history files, temporary internet files, the cache of your browsers and other internet tracks including the Flash Player history.
• The File Shredder tool can be used for secure, unrecoverable deletion of files and folders, With normal deletion of files, even after the removal of files from the Recycle Bin it's possible to recover them using other software but with this tool you can completely delete files and make them non-recoverable. Apart from this, you can also wipe free disk space for extra privacy.
• The File Undelete lets you recover any files that you might have accidentally deleted in the recent past and if there's no record of it on your file index. You can do this in a more organised way using the different available filters like drive, date, state of recovery and more.
• The File Encrypter and Decrypter tool can be used to protect files or folders from prying eyes by encrypting the files which would require a password to open. Additional features include having a password int field in case you forgot the decryption password.

Files and Folders

              The Files and Folders module provides you with tools to analyse and find items from different disks or folders on your system.

• The Disk Analysis tool lets you check which files or folders in your system occupy the largest disk spaces, so you can sort through and better organise your disk or simply locate and delete large files in case you run out of disk space.
• The Duplicate File Finder finds multiple copies of the same file on your system and lets you delete the extra copies in case you need to reduce redundancy and free up disk space.
•  The Empty Folder Finder finds folders on your system which don't contain any files in them so that you can delete them if required.
• The File Splitter and Joiner is a tool that lets you make a big file portable. This is very useful for sharing large files over the internet, you can upload or email smaller parts as attachments which can again be joined by the other user who you had intended to share the file with.