Running two operating systems simultaneously on a dual setup Using SSD and HDD together for performance
Running two operating systems simultaneously on a dual setup Using SSD and HDD together for performance
You can place Ubuntu on a separate partition of the 1TB HDD instead of using the SSD, even though the SSD is full.
It seems yes? You'd have to select the BIOS settings for the drives you prefer, like choosing Ubuntu as the primary OS with the SSD and Windows as a backup.
I’m thinking you already have the drive set up in Windows. Open the Windows Partition Manager and divide the partition as needed. This lets you verify file integrity, which I haven’t faced with either Windows or Ubuntu installers before. For Ubuntu, it should recognize the SSD and show available drives—look for the HDDs section at the bottom of the list. Since you haven’t used Ubuntu or a Linux distro in years, the interface might look different now. You can start with a live USB first; if issues arise during installation, snap a screenshot and share it here. I assume your system already prioritizes the SSD, but this could be adjusted depending on how it’s configured.
You can even set up parts of Linux on each storage device. Turn off the SSD in BIOS prior to installation, turn it back on afterward, and use update-grub from within Ubuntu. Always boot from the HDD—Grub should show Windows as an option. You have two HDDs: Linux on one and Windows 7 on the other.