Installing Linux Over Vista Help

[DookieDraws]

My laptop has Vista installed on it, but also comes with all the other crapware. Even after unistalling all of this junk my laptop seems to still be sluggish. What I'd like to do is try Linux and just see what it's like. I have created my recovery disks for the laptop should I need to use them.

I understand that I'll need drivers specific to my laptop and I'll worry about all this later.

I want to install over Vista to erase all of that junk, not install Linux on a different partition! Will Linux install over Vista and if so, would I still be able to install Vista should I decide to do so in the future?

Also, what version of Linux would you guys suggest? I like to play FPS games and do basic computer stuff.

Remember, this is just something I want to test out and if it doesn't make me happy, I'll use my recovery disks and reinstall Vista again.

Thanks in advance for the help! I really do appreciate it!

 

[arges86]

as for your linux distro to try, i'd start w/ Ubuntu. Its by far the most popular linux version out there.
I'd install it on a USB drive first, that you can boot from, and from there, you can run it just like u normally would. You wouldn't have to change a thing on your PC, all drivers ect. will be on the usb drive, or on a separate partition of your hard drive
http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download

as for your Vista. i'f your really set on cleaning it up, back up all your files, format the hard drive, and install Vista fresh on the recently formatted drive/partition.
Thats what i've done when i get pre-built machines for people. Helps get rid of the OEM's software on there (Dell is prob. the worst offender)

 

[Guest]

I have an old toshiba laptop on which I over wrote XP and installed so many different linux distros to test them, and when I got bored I just popped in the recovery disk and reinstalled xp, you should do the same but you will lose ALL of your files and folders, the recovery disk is only for the OS.

Also, try the recovery disk on your current vista install, reinstall vista with it over your current vista, sluggish performance can easily be fixed with programs like registry mechanic, I have a 4-year old PC running vista and I have registry mechanic which I run every week, my computer is running as fast as when I bought it.

Also, when you first try linux it's gonna piss you off, the way you install things, games not being compatible, though they run fine through WINE, and the command line but you will get used to it so be patient.

The Ubuntu installer is very user friendly and gives you the option to partition or overwrite your current OS so don't worry about that, you can even boot from the disk; you can try ubuntu without installing it, it can run from the CD, it's loaded on to your RAM, that's a quick easy way to try it.

 

[DookieDraws]

Thank you both for the quick reply. I'm looking at Ubuntu, Kubuntu and Xubuntu. May or may not try them all, but I do like the way they look. Even though looks aren't everything, they are pretty sweet looking.

Thanks again!

 

[Guest]

Xubuntu is for old computers. just get Ubuntu, it's the most popular, therefore easiest to learn to use through tutorials, Kubuntu is the same but with a different desktop environment, just get Ubuntu.