No. After download and burn the Ubuntu 10.10 install disk, you can either TRY Ubuntu without affecting your Windows at all, or INSTALL Ubuntu to have them both in your PC.
However, to install Ubuntu, you need to be careful. Make sure not to install Ubuntu to the Windows drive. That is all.
you computer will be slower than before you install ubuntu....
Yes, it can be done from the windows installation disk, but it's cleaner if you remove ubuntu with the ubuntu live cd and then install windows.
I would suggest installing windows on one hard drive, then installing ubuntu on the same hard drive. Use the other hard drive for the backups (partition it).
If you chose the option to resize the hard drive to make room for Ubuntu, there will an entry for Windows XP on a boot menu when you start the computer. If you chose to use the entire disk, Windows XP was erased, and recovery is probably not possible.
There are no real risks. That is the beauty of virtual machines.
Usually by firing up the installer and either setting up some partition space on the same hard disk or installing it on an entirely new hard disk alongside Windows and installing it there.
If you have installed ubuntu with windows you uninstall it in the add remove programs.
Yes, Windows 7 will overwrite the partition used by Ubuntu. In dual-booting, were two operating systems share the hard-drive (in separate partitions), you have a choice of either OS on boot-up. The recommended method is to install Windows first, then Ubuntu. Otherwise, if Windows is installed second it greedily takes over automatically at boot-up.
Click the install as partition when installing Ubuntu.
Windows viruses do not affect the Ubuntu system .
A quick and relatively easy method of getting Ubuntu Linux - if you already have a Windows system and you want to run Ubuntu Linux on it - is to download Ubuntu and install it by using the Wubi (the Windows-based Ubuntu Installer) from this Ubuntu web site: http://wubi-installer.org You can use the Wubi (Windows-based Ubuntu Installer) to download and install Ubuntu Linux in Windows and this is very similar to installing any software program in Windows. One of the great benefits of using the "Wubi Installer" is that you can also uninstall Ubuntu Linux from Windows if you need to (in the same way as you uninstall any Windows program). When you use the "Wubi Installer", you DON'T have to do the following steps (that you would "typically" need to do) to install the Desktop version of Ubuntu Linux on an existing Windows system: download a Linux ISO file burn the Linux ISO file to a Linux CD set up your computer to boot from CD boot with the Linux CD to run Linux "Live" and get to the GNOME desktop double-click on the "Install" icon to start the installation routine run the Ubuntu Linux installation routine Ubuntu Linux Training Tips: The Wubi Installer is only used to install the Desktop (not Server) Edition of Ubuntu Linux on an existing Windows system - and not on a new or used computer system that doesn't have Windows already installed on it. All of the "download, burn, setup, and so on" steps listed above will be described shortly in upcoming sections. The Ubuntu Linux installation steps described above are required to install the Desktop and Server Editions (versions) of Ubuntu Linux - either on a computer system that has Windows (to create a Dual-Boot Windows / Linux system) or one that doesn't have Windows Ubuntu Linux Training Tips: Keep in mind that prior to installing Ubuntu Linux (or any Linux distro) on an existing Windows system, you need to do a complete backup of your Windows system - twice! Also make sure that you can use the backups that you have created to restore your Windows system from backup. (copied from "http://www.ubuntulinuxbookblog.com/wubi-installer-windows-based-ubuntu-installer-training-download-install-ubuntu-linux-in-windows.html" ) A quick and relatively easy method of getting Ubuntu Linux - if you already have a Windows system and you want to run Ubuntu Linux on it - is to download Ubuntu and install it by using the Wubi (the Windows-based Ubuntu Installer) from this Ubuntu web site: http://wubi-installer.org You can use the Wubi (Windows-based Ubuntu Installer) to download and install Ubuntu Linux in Windows and this is very similar to installing any software program in Windows. One of the great benefits of using the "Wubi Installer" is that you can also uninstall Ubuntu Linux from Windows if you need to (in the same way as you uninstall any Windows program). When you use the "Wubi Installer", you DON'T have to do the following steps (that you would "typically" need to do) to install the Desktop version of Ubuntu Linux on an existing Windows system: download a Linux ISO file burn the Linux ISO file to a Linux CD set up your computer to boot from CD boot with the Linux CD to run Linux "Live" and get to the GNOME desktop double-click on the "Install" icon to start the installation routine run the Ubuntu Linux installation routine Ubuntu Linux Training Tips: The Wubi Installer is only used to install the Desktop (not Server) Edition of Ubuntu Linux on an existing Windows system - and not on a new or used computer system that doesn't have Windows already installed on it. All of the "download, burn, setup, and so on" steps listed above will be described shortly in upcoming sections. The Ubuntu Linux installation steps described above are required to install the Desktop and Server Editions (versions) of Ubuntu Linux - either on a computer system that has Windows (to create a Dual-Boot Windows / Linux system) or one that doesn't have Windows Ubuntu Linux Training Tips: Keep in mind that prior to installing Ubuntu Linux (or any Linux distro) on an existing Windows system, you need to do a complete backup of your Windows system - twice! Also make sure that you can use the backups that you have created to restore your Windows system from backup. (copied from "http://www.ubuntulinuxbookblog.com/wubi-installer-windows-based-ubuntu-installer-training-download-install-ubuntu-linux-in-windows.html" )
You must set them up as shared drives in Windows. Then you can browse them in Ubuntu as a Samba share.