Setting up Ubuntu

 If you are going to instal as a partition (2 operating systems on one hard drive) the DEFRAGMENT your disk first

at some point during instalation you will be asked to create a password, this is the ADMIN password and should be easy to remember,  anytime you want to instal you will have to use this password.

1. go into the BIOS on you computer (on a dell its f2 or f12 on the keyboard as soon as you swith you computer on.
2. Go to the boot options and make sure CD is the primary boot.
3. Now put the CD in and exit the BIOS.
(the current new few steps are whatthe ubuntu forums say you should do, i used Gpart to partition my drive before hand. if you are installing on a new hard drive the steps in red are irrelevent just continue with instalation.)

4.Select install and proceed untill you come accross "how do you want to partition your drive"

5. chose the first option somthing like "Resize IDE1 master, partition #1 (hda1) and use freed space"

6. select the percentage of the drive you want to free up for ubuntu (minimun of 10GB i would suggest)

7. select forward and continue with instalation
i am not sure where this comes up however for ease when you see the option instal with 3rd party software slect that option
8. once the instal is finished restart the computer.

If using a partition drive it will come up with the "GRUB" boot menu when you start DO NOT BE ALARMED select what one you want to boot at that time windows or ubuntu.

And you done, if you want to remove please follow a diffrent guide to come later. Sorry for no pictures of this as its hard for me to screenshot the install process.

What to bare in mind:

1. Ubuntu CAN read you Windows partition, however windows can't read the ubuntu files, so be careful not to change files in the windows area.
2. Ubuntu doesn't instal softwear the same as windows (see later post for instalation guide)
3. Ubuntu is not for games, although there are games they are not very good or plentful