Dangers of changing hard drives?

[TechWise]

I'm interested in trying the Linux Ubuntu operating system on my laptop after a few recommendations from friends. I have downloaded the Ubuntu files and put them onto a USB memory stick, I then plan to reboot the laptop and tell it to boot from the USB, in theory allowing me to have a play around with Ubuntu without having to install it on my HDD.

I have an SSD lying around though and I got to thinking that I could take out my HDD and put the blank SSD in. I could then boot Ubuntu from the USB and install it properly onto the SSD. If I decided I liked Linux, I would just not bothering putting the HDD back in and enjoy the benefits of an SSD and a fresh operating system. On the other hand, if I don't get along with the new OS, I can just put my old HDD back in and run Windows and it will be like nothing ever changed.

Are there any obvious pitfalls in my logic here?

I have also considered partitioning my HDD and installing Ubuntu in a separate partition. Would this mean that I could simply select which OS I wanted to use whenever I rebooted the laptop?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Storeman]

The spare SSD for another o/s is a good way of doing it. As you say, you will still have your original system if you need it.
Dual booting is another way to go. I dual boot here, but between different Windows versions. Just read up on the correct way to do it, there is a particular order to install each o/s to get it to work. For example when dual booting Windows, the older version gets installed first.
If you find you're not keen on Ubuntu, have a look at Linux Mint. It also has an option to run it live, so no need to install to try it out. I went from Ubuntu to Mint when Ubuntu started to use that awful Unity desktop.

 

[TechWise]

Thanks for the advice @Storeman I've just finished installing Ubuntu on a separate partition on my HDD and it seems to be working a treat switching between the two at startup. I was a bit overwhelmed by the number of "distros" available which is why I went for Ubuntu. In hind sight I should maybe have gone for something a little more "barebones" because I'm a little bit disappointed with all the bloatware they've tagged onto it.

Perhaps in future I will clone the HDD partition used for Linux onto the SSD and use that instead for an injection of speed! Is it really just as simple as taking the HHD out and putting the SSD in when I want to use Linux?

 

[Storeman]

Thanks for the advice @Storeman I've just finished installing Ubuntu on a separate partition on my HDD and it seems to be working a treat switching between the two at startup. I was a bit overwhelmed by the number of "distros" available which is why I went for Ubuntu. In hind sight I should maybe have gone for something a little more "barebones" because I'm a little bit disappointed with all the bloatware they've tagged onto it.

Perhaps in future I will clone the HDD partition used for Linux onto the SSD and use that instead for an injection of speed! Is it really just as simple as taking the HHD out and putting the SSD in when I want to use Linux?

Yes, that's another reason I stopped using Ubuntu.

Cloning may not work as the boot loader will more than likely be on the Windows partition.
It will be better to do a complete new install on your SSD.

Yep, just swapping the drives from one to the other will be all that's required.Just take care not to damage the drive connector.

 

[Y Fan Wen]

The spare SSD for another o/s is a good way of doing it. As you say, you will still have your original system if you need it.
Dual booting is another way to go. I dual boot here, but between different Windows versions. Just read up on the correct way to do it, there is a particular order to install each o/s to get it to work. For example when dual booting Windows, the older version gets installed first.
If you find you're not keen on Ubuntu, have a look at Linux Mint. It also has an option to run it live, so no need to install to try it out. I went from Ubuntu to Mint when Ubuntu started to use that awful Unity desktop.

What do you find objectionable about Unity? I haven't used any other so I have no views.

 

[Storeman]

What do you find objectionable about Unity? I haven't used any other so I have no views.

It seems to be full of uneeded bloat, takes more system resources to run and has trackers that report usage back. If I wanted to be tracked, I would use Windows 10.

 

[JP1]

I feel like I've stumbled across a thread in a foreign language

 

[TechWise]

I feel like I've stumbled across a thread in a foreign language

I didn't know who else to turn to! Some computing forums are quite hostile to people who ask "beginner" questions like this.

That's the beauty of TFF

 

[pycoed]

I hated Unity when it first appeared, but I've grown quite to like it now. Though when I lashed out £40 on an eeePC as a laptop, it came with Mint 17 which I absolutely love!
Next time I upgrade the desktop it'll be running Mint too.
On my desktop I can choose which hard disk to boot to at startup via a BIOS utility, so I can choose Ubuntu 15 on the SSD which is the default, or Ubuntu 14 on a conventional hard disk partition. Booting to the HDD means I can backup the SSD without messing about with USB sticks (& vice versa obviously)
Might be worth having a look in the BIOS to see if you have something similar.

 

[Mursal]

Yes if in doubt, load it onto a "play computer" more fun less stress ................

 

[Storeman]

Yes if in doubt, load it onto a "play computer" more fun less stress ................

Every BIOS or UEFI ( the latest type of BIOS ) has a function key that will bring up a boot menu. On an ASUS motherboard, for example, it's F8. Which is a bit odd, as that's also the function key used by Windows to bring up the boot option menu, for safe mode etc.
So, you have to press F8 at start up, select the boot device from the menu, then quickly press F8 again to get the Windows boot menu. Not quick enough and you miss it. Not sure what ASUS were thinking when they chose F8.