In a few days I'll be getting a laptop with a clean install of Win 10 on a HDD. As soon as it is convenient I want to replace the HDD with a new SSD and dual boot with Ubuntu. I've had Win 7 and Ubuntu on a few different computers for the past several years. I like Ubuntu but I may also like to try out some other distros.

My question is: When I replace the HDD should I add Ubuntu first and then clone or should I clone and then add Ubuntu afterward? Does it matter?

First Win and then Linux. Win will / might stumble otherwise. GRUB2 handles this expertly...

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Thank you

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Wonder if using a free virtual machine would suit your needs more easily and safely?

Some systems might run quite well off a ssd.

mattoleriver,

I have a laptop and am very happy with Windows 10 Home 64Bit.

I use Oracle Virtual Box which I currently have loaded with
Linux Mint LDME4, Ubuntu 20.04, Debian 10.3 and Linux Lite.

Folder and Printer and mouse work quite well after installing
the Guest Additions after the installation of Linux.

Two pieces of advice. Don't assign to much memory to a virtual
machine. 2GB is fine. And, don't assign too many CPU cores to
any one virtual machine. Usually 2 is enough. See you have to
leave memory and CPU cores for the host system, Windows 10.

On all my VM's I created a share folder called c:\linux on the
Windows side and /linux on the guest (Linux) side.

That way anything you put into c:\linux will be accessible by
Linux and anything you put into /linux on the Linux will be
available to the Windows (Host) side.

Remember after you are done to do sudo adduser [your name] xboxsf
to allow the share to be accessible to your Linux user. If you
don't do this the only way to access the share is by
sudo [command] [share path]/file or sudo cp /linux/myfile ~. to
copy myfile into your home directory. Keeping in mind because you
used sudo root will own the file. You can always do a
sudo chown [your name] myfile so now you own it.


Good luck.

I prefer to have Linux as the host and Windows on the virtual. Win10 has a host of issues, one of which is the MBR often failing and having to perform MBR repairs. I work with Windows all day long 5 days a week and have to do this at least twice a week. Plus, Windows is less secure and needs a lot of anti virus software to keep it from being infested. I have not run any such software on my Linux distro in 7 years, other than what is built into the kernel.
So, Linux first is a leaner, greener, more efficient method in my experience.

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"MBR often failing and having to perform MBR repairs." This is uncommon. Rather doubt Windows is the cause.

Windows and Linux are not usually secure by default.

Hi. First of all, excuse my bad english.
In my case, at the first 'tests' i was installed DOS-Windows and later Linux (using Part from MS of cfdisk from Linux). Then, when understand the way Windows work (from W3.1 and NT at Millenium or 2000) the way to reinstall from tarballs backups, was partitioning with cfdisk and then install/reinstall Linuxs OSs and later MS OSs). Are a great advantage of use Linux like 'administrator' or first OS because it can see all the hardware and software, and access MS fs like a unique privilegies user.
Other advantage is Linux can block all access to no authorized users, but Windows (about windows who came with PC in versions up to 2010, because i can't look in it how to work after those) can access ext fs and break security of users fs).

Have a nice day.