Ah, the desire to explore a new digital cosmos! You're looking to shed the familiar confines of your Windows 10 habitat and venture into the wide-open, collaborative universe of Linux. It's a journey of liberation, a transition from being a passenger to becoming a pilot.
We're not just installing an operating system. We are performing a fundamental shift in your computer's reality, replacing its very laws of physics with a new, elegant set—those of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat).
Let's begin this grand migration.
From Windows to the Cosmos: A-Journey into Ubuntu
Phase 1: Secure Your Digital DNA
Before we decommission the old world, we must build a lifeboat for its inhabitants. Your data—your photos, documents, projects, and music—is the digital echo of your life. We must preserve it. To do anything else would be cosmically irresponsible.
Get an Ark: You need an external hard drive or a significant amount of cloud storage (like Google Drive or Dropbox).
Locate Your Essence: On your Windows 10 machine, open File Explorer. The most critical data usually lives in your User folder (
C:\Users\<YourName>). This includes:Desktop
Documents
Downloads
Music
Pictures
Videos
Copy, Don't Move: Copy every one of these folders to your external drive. Don't forget other locations, like a second
D:drive if you have one.Check Your Manifest: Once copied, unplug the drive and plug it into another computer if possible (or just plug it back in) to ensure the files are actually there and uncorrupted.
A solemn warning: The procedure we are about to perform is a "Great Annihilation." It will not "uninstall" Windows. It will obliterate it and every file, program, and setting on that drive. Your backup is not a suggestion; it is your only link to your digital past.
Phase 2: Forge the Key to the New World
Now, we must create the vessel that will carry us to the new reality. This is a bootable USB drive, the "key" that unlocks your computer's most fundamental settings.
Download the Blueprint: On your Windows 10 machine, go to the official Ubuntu website. Download the "Ubuntu 24.04 LTS" desktop image. This will be a single, large file with a
.isoextension.3 It's the entire operating system, compressed into a digital seed.Download the Tool: We need a "foundry" to etch this blueprint onto a USB drive.
4 The most reliable tool for this on Windows is a free, open-source program called Rufus.5 Go to its official website and download it.Prepare the Vessel: Insert a blank USB drive (8 GB or larger is perfect) into your computer. This drive will also be completely erased.
Run Rufus:
Open the Rufus application you downloaded.
6 Device: Select your USB drive from the top dropdown.
Boot selection: Click "SELECT" and find the
ubuntu-24.04-desktop-amd64.isofile you downloaded.Partition scheme: Rufus is smart. It will likely choose the correct setting (usually GPT for modern PCs). Leave the defaults.
File system: Leave this as FAT32.
Click START. It may pop up a few questions; the default answers are almost always correct. It will warn you one last time that the USB drive will be destroyed. Confirm it.
In a few minutes, your foundry will cool, and you will be holding the key.
Phase 3: The Launch Sequence (Accessing the BIOS)
Your computer, by default, is programmed to boot from its internal hard drive (where Windows lives). We must interrupt this sequence and command it to boot from your new USB key instead.
There are two primary ways to do this:
Method 1: The Advanced Startup (Most Reliable)
This is the most elegant way on a modern, fast-booting Windows 10 machine.
Click the Start Menu.
Click the Power icon.
Hold down the SHIFT key on your keyboard, and while holding it, click Restart.
8 Keep holding SHIFT until a blue "Choose an option" screen appears.
From this menu, select: Troubleshoot → Advanced options → UEFI Firmware Settings.
Click Restart. Your computer will now boot directly into the BIOS/UEFI.
Method 2: The Key-Press Maneuver
This is the classic method.
Shut down your computer completely.
Plug your new Ubuntu USB key into a USB port.
9 Turn the computer on. As soon as you see the manufacturer's logo (e.g., Dell, HP, Lenovo), repeatedly press the BIOS key.
10 This key is usually F2, F12, DELETE, or ESC. (It often says "Press [Key] to enter Setup" on the screen for a brief moment).11 If Windows loads, you were too slow. Just shut down and try again.
Once inside the BIOS/UEFI, look for a tab or menu called "Boot," "Boot Order," or "Boot Sequence." Your goal is to change the order so that "USB Drive" (it may be listed by its brand name, like "Kingston" or "UEFI: USB") is above "Windows Boot Manager" or your internal hard drive.
After changing the order, find the option to "Save and Exit" (often the F10 key).
Phase 4: Installation (Entering the New Cosmos)
If you've done everything correctly, your PC will restart... but this time, it will boot from the USB drive. You'll see a black screen with options.
Try or Install: Select "Try or Install Ubuntu."
Welcome: After a moment, you'll see a beautiful desktop and an installer window. First, you can "Try Ubuntu." This runs the entire operating system from the USB stick without touching your computer.
12 It's a fantastic way to test if your Wi-Fi, sound, and display work correctly. Poke around. Explore.Install: When you're ready to commit, double-click the "Install Ubuntu" icon on the desktop.
The Basics: The installer will guide you through the simple stuff:
Keyboard layout (e.g., English US).
Connect to Wi-Fi (a good idea, so it can download updates as it installs).
Installation type: Choose "Normal installation" and check the box to "Install third-party software..."
THE MOMENT OF TRUTH: Installation Type
This is the most critical step. The installer will ask what you want to do. Since your mission is a complete replacement, you will select the option:
"Erase disk and install Ubuntu."
The installer will show you which drive it's about to wipe (it should be your main internal drive). This is the final confirmation. This is where Windows 10 is overwritten. This is the point of no return.
Click "Install Now" and confirm the changes.
Final Details: While the new universe expands onto your drive, the installer will ask a few final questions:
Where are you? (Set your time zone).
Who are you? (Create your user account and a strong password).
The installation will now complete. It will copy files, set up the system, and, in about 10-20 minutes, it will tell you, "Installation is complete. Please restart your computer."
Do so. When it prompts you, remove the USB drive, and press ENTER.
Phase 5: Reseeding Your New World
Your computer will restart. But this time... no Windows logo. You will see the elegant boot screen of Ubuntu. Log in with the password you created.
Welcome to your new home.
It's beautiful, but it's empty. It's time to bring your digital DNA back.
Connect Your Ark: Plug in the external hard drive that contains your backup.
Open the Files: Click the "Files" icon (it looks like a filing cabinet) in the dock on the left.
Navigate: You will see your external drive listed on the left. Click it. You'll also see your new
Homefolder, which contains your newDocuments,Music,Pictures, etc.Drag and Drop: Simply drag your old "Pictures" folder into your new "Pictures" folder. Drag your old "Documents" into your new "Documents."
You are now reseeding your new world with the preserved essence of the old.
Conclusion: An Explorer, Not a User
You've done it. You've navigated the void, decommissioned one reality, and instantiated a new one. You've moved from a closed, proprietary system to an open, transparent cosmos where the code is available for you to inspect, to modify, to understand.
You are no longer just a "user." You are an explorer. The universe is yours. Enjoy the journey.
This video provides a clear, step-by-step visual guide on how to create the bootable USB stick using Rufus, which is a critical part of the process.
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