How would I dual boot.
How would I dual boot.
You can set up a dual boot by creating separate boot entries for Windows 8.1 and Ubuntu. Since you don’t have a recovery disk, you’ll need to use tools like Rufus or Windows’ built-in imaging software to make bootable USB drives. For backing up your data, consider using free utilities such as Macrium Reflect or Acronis True Image. Regarding tutorials, a solid YouTube video is "How to Dual Boot Windows and Ubuntu" by TechWithMike — it walks through the process step-by-step.
Begin your Ubuntu installation, and you should see a setup prompt appear.
It would place it next to it and set up grub to pick between Ubuntu or Windows at startup
You'll receive a basic interface with options to choose Ubuntu or Windows.
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Ensure Windows is already set up. Open Disk Management, reduce the size of your C volume (the space removed will serve as installation area for Ubuntu). You also have the option to make partitions manually or let Ubuntu handle it automatically—this may need adjustments later. If you're using a different HDD, skip this part. After booting Ubuntu, follow the installation instructions. When prompted for the HDD, pick "Install alongside Windows" or "Something Else." I prefer the latter so you can define empty areas or partitions to avoid conflicts with Windows. After completion, restart your system and see the GRUB menu appear after BIOS (if you don’t hold Shift during boot). Choose the desired operating system—Ubuntu, Windows Loader, and Memtest should be available.