Bittiäinen Oy - Bittiainen Ltd


First remember to take backups to a big usb-memory stick, of your photos, texts, videos, music etc.
Get your Linux Mint iso file from here, try first the 64-bit version, if it don´t boot try the 32-bit version.

I use the Mate desktop which I recommend, but there is also Cinnamon for absolute beginners. The latest Linux Mint version is 21.1

 

https://www.linuxmint.com/
Howto make the Linux Mint install usb-stick on Windows 10

The solution: rufux.exe, download it and install it and use it to burn the linuxmint.iso file to a usb-memory stick, from:

https://rufus.ie
Howto boot the usb-memory stick

For the first time, you usually need to change the boot order in your machine, you have to change

that the usb-stick you use is the first boot media, so you connect the usb-stick to the machine, and

then when you boot you need to know what function key to press to get to bios on your machine.

It varies: on HP laptops it is F10, on many others it is F2 or F12, or it can be ins or del, but you can google your machine details and find out for sure or just guess and try, but you have to keep tapping to that key while the machine is booting, you will notice if that is working and the bios screens opens.

Then go to the boot order and change your usb-stick the first boot media.

Then you are ready to go.
Should you disable from bios the secure boot or not ?

Linux Mint can now handle the UEFI secure boot, so you don´t have to disable secure boot.

If you are installing a dualboot with Windows 10 you absolutely must not disable the secure boot.
 How to dualboot with your existing installation of Windows 10

You will need 2 usb-sticks, one for the later Linux Mint install and one for the tool linux that you will be using.

I use this method if I have to do it from scrach: First I download the Gparted live from

https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=gparted or if you have time and want much more tools, i have made back in 2013 bittixlinux9 now you can download it from

https://bittiainen.com/bittixlinux9/

Burn either of those to usb-stick with rufus.exe

Bittixlinux9´s user name is bittix and password bittixlinux9

Boot one of them the same way I described for Linux Mint, and start Gparted. Find the partition where your Windows 10 C: drive is located, and make it smaller, but leave there at least 32 Gb space for windows, because it is the minimum.

Leave the rest of the space empty. That is where you are going to install the Linux Mint. Shut down.

Insert your Linux Mint usb-memory stick to the machine and boot and follow the instructions, but don´t format the Windows partition. Don´t install to the whole hard drive. Install to the empty space.

When you next boot Windows let it do the harddrive checking, after that it should work allright.

 If linux don´t boot you can try this:

 https://linuxhint.com/linux_mint_boot_repair/