This wikiHow teaches you how to install Windows 10 on a computer running Linux Ubuntu. Before you begin, make sure you've purchased a Windows license and product code. Don't worry if you don't have Windows installation media, as you can create a bootable USB drive from a downloadable ISO image file. Once Windows is installed, you can install a tool called EasyBCD so that you can switch from one operating system to another when the computer reboots.
Step
Part 1 of 4: Creating a Primary NTFS Partition for Windows
Step 1. Install Gparted if the program is not already available
Gparted is a free partitioning tool with a graphical user interface that is quite easy to use. You can download it from Software Center or by running the command sudo apt-get install gparted from Terminal (command line).
If you have created a partition for Windows, but it is not the primary partition, you will need to create a new partition
Step 2. Open Gparted
You can see a list of all the drives and partitions thereafter.
Step 3. Right-click the partition or drive you want to edit and select Resize/Move
With this option, you can create new partitions from existing partitions.
Step 4. Enter the size of the new partition (in MB) in the "Free space following" field
You must allocate at least 20 GB (20,000 MB) for Windows 10. If you plan to install applications and use Windows frequently, you may need to increase the partition size allocation.
Step 5. Select Primary Partition from the "Create as" menu
This menu is on the right side of the window.
Step 6. Select ntfs from the "File System" menu
This menu is on the right side of the window.
Step 7. Type Windows10 in the "Label" field
That way, you can identify the partition for Windows easily.
Step 8. Click Add
It's in the lower-right corner of the window.
Step 9. Click the green check button
It's in the toolbar at the top of the Gparted window. The partition will be created and the creation process may take some time. After the partition is ready, click Close ” in the lower right corner of the window.
Part 2 of 4: Creating a Windows 10 Install Drive on Ubuntu
Step 1. Install UNetbootin from Software Center
This free application allows you to create a bootable USB drive in Ubuntu. To learn more about UNetbootin, visit
- You will need an empty USB drive with at least 8 GB of space to create mounting media. The data on the drive will be erased in this process.
- For help with installing programs on Ubuntu, read the article on how to install programs on Ubuntu.
Step 2. Visit https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 via a web browser
If you don't already have a Windows USB drive or DVD to load, you can create one via a downloadable ISO file.
You must have a Windows license in order to install Windows 10. This means that you must have purchased Windows 10 and have a valid product code
Step 3. Select the latest Windows 10 version and click Confirm
Additional options will appear at the bottom of the page.
Step 4. Select the language and click Confirm
You need to select a language from the drop-down menu under "Select the product language".
Step 5. Click 32-bit Download or 64-bit Downloads.
The ISO file will be downloaded to the main directory of the download store.
Step 6. Open UNetbootin and mount the USB drive
When UNetbootin is started, a welcome page will be displayed where you can select the parameters of the loadable drives.
Step 7. Select the "DiskImage" radio button
It's in the lower-left corner of the window.
Step 8. Select the ISO from the "DiskImage" menu
This menu is to the right of the radio buttons.
Step 9. Click the three dots button…
A file browsing window will open.
Step 10. Select the file you have downloaded from Microsoft
This file has an.iso extension or suffix.
Step 11. Select USB Drive from the "Type" menu
It's in the lower-left corner of the window.
Step 12. Select the USB drive from the " Drive " menu
Click the label for your USB drive.
If you cannot select a drive, it is possible that the drive was formatted with the FAT32 file system. You can reformat the drive in the file manager window by right-clicking the drive and selecting “ Format ”.
Step 13. Click OK
A Windows 10 USB drive that can be loaded from the ISO image file you previously downloaded will be created. Once the drive is ready, you will see the message "Installation Complete".
Step 14. Click Exit to close the UNetbootin window
Part 3 of 4: Running Windows Installation
Step 1. Restart the computer and load BIOS/UEFI
The steps that need to be followed to access the BIOS/UEFI will depend on the PC manufacturer and model. Usually, you need to press a certain key (often F2, F10, F1, or Del) right after the computer starts up.
Insert the USB drive into an empty USB port if not already
Step 2. Set the USB drive to load first in the load order
You can usually do this through the "Boot" or "Boot Order" menu. The steps to change the order depend on your computer, but usually you need to select “ USB Drive ” and mark it as “ 1st Boot Device " Visit the PC manufacturer's website for more specific instructions on BIOS/UEFI.
Step 3. Save changes and exit BIOS/UEFI
Most BIOS/UEFI displays "Save" and "Exit" buttons clearly on the screen. After you exit the BIOS/UEFI, the computer will load via the USB drive and display the " Windows Setup " window.
Step 4. Click Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)
This option is the second option in the window. A list of all partitions will be displayed.
Step 5. Select Windows10 partition and click Next.
The selected partition is the partition that you have created. Windows will be mounted on the selected partition.
Step 6. Follow the on-screen instructions to install Windows
Once you have completed the initial setup, you will be taken to the Windows desktop.
Step 7. Connect the computer to the internet network via Windows
Once Windows is installed, you need to install tools that will allow you to load it alongside your existing Ubuntu operating system (dual loading or dual boot).
To find out how to connect a computer to a WiFi network, look for articles on how to connect Windows 10 to a WiFi network or how to connect a computer to the internet
Part 4 of 4: Setting Up Dual Booting
Step 1. Open the Microsoft Edge web browser
You can find this browser in the “Start” menu in the lower-left corner of the screen. The final part of the Windows installation process is setting up the computer so that you can load or select Windows 10 or Ubuntu when the computer starts up.
Step 2. Visit
EasyBCD is a free tool that allows you to set up dual loading (dual boot) via Windows.
Step 3. Scroll to the screen and click Register under the words "Non-commercial"
You will be taken to the registration page.
Step 4. Enter your name and email address, then click Download
The download will start immediately, but you may need to click “ Save " or " Download ” first to confirm.
Step 5. Click the file you just downloaded
This file starts with the word EasyBCD. You can see it at the bottom of the browser window. Otherwise, press the shortcut Ctrl+J to open the list of downloads (“Downloads”) and click the file.
Step 6. Click Yes to give permission for the app to run
Step 7. Follow the on-screen instructions to install EasyBCD
Once installed, the app will be added to the “Start” menu.
Step 8. Open EasyBCD
The app appears in the “Start” menu which you can access by clicking the Windows button in the lower-left corner of the screen.
Step 9. Click the Linux/BSD tab
This tab is at the top of the application window.
Step 10. Select Grub 2 from the "Type" menu
This menu is at the top of the tab.
Step 11. Type Ubuntu in the "Name" field
This column is just below the "Type" menu. The entry entered is a label for Ubuntu that will be displayed on the loading (boot) menu.
Step 12. Select Automatically locate and load from the " Drive " menu
Step 13. Click the Add Entry button
It's just below the "Drive" menu. The option for Ubuntu will be added to the standard Windows boot menu.
Step 14. Remove the USB drive and restart the computer
You can restart your computer by clicking the “Start” menu, selecting the power button (it looks like a knob), and clicking “ Restart When the computer restarts, the Windows 10 or Ubuntu selection page will load. Select an operating system to load or run.
