Perform a standalone Ubuntu installation

If you’re looking to wipe Windows from the drive and install Ubuntu on its own, then the process for installing it is straightforward. If there’s nothing on the disk you wish to keep then simply wipe the entire drive during the regular installation process by selecting ‘Erase disk and install Ubuntu’ at the ‘Installation type’ screen and clicking Continue.

You’ll then be shown a screen telling you that you’re planning to install Ubuntu on the selected disk (/ dev/sda) and that the entire disk will be used. If you have a second hard drive installed you can install Ubuntu here, too – again, that disk will be wiped and everything given to Ubuntu.

But what if you’ve got a multi-partition setup with a separate data volume and you’d like to keep that intact while wiping Windows? Not a problem: either click the ‘Advanced partitioning tool’ shortcut on the ‘Erase disk and install Ubuntu screen’ or select ‘Something else’ at the previous screen. From here, you need to select the Windows partition (you’ll need to identify it by its label and size) and click ‘–’ to remove it. While you’re here, we recommend deleting any small partitions at the front and end of the drive, too. One is usually marked Windows and refers to the boot partition.

Once done, simply select the free space at the front of the drive and follow the procedure in step six of the walkthrough to create your Ubuntu partition, then click Install Now to replace Windows with Ubuntu.