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I have used ubuntu for almost 6 months full time at home while using windows for almost 6 years,so I previously used ubuntu on separate hard drive while I have one attached hard drive with partitions having NTFS file system so I used data from those partitions also. Now I want to again shift to ubuntu as I am a web developer and want to use ubuntu and I have a hp probook. So I just want to know few things:

Should I use wubi? But I have heard it is on windows installtion mercy still that is not good. Should I use dual boot and configure it separately without any wubi e.t.c.? Or should I install separate ubuntu on whole hard disk?

It seems like 3rd option is good but main concern in that case is that how will my data be safe? Like if my ubuntu is corrupted or need to install again or uninstall in any case, then I will need to format whole disk and all my data will be deleted as it is on unpartitioned space. So this seems to be unsafe. Actually I am not sure, but another option I have is to have some partitions and some unpartitioned space and install ubuntu on unpartitioned space and if I will remove ubuntu at some time or it will be removed some how then I will have my data safe in partitioned space. The way I am thinking really make sense? I have been actually windows user so may be thinking in that way, and want to know that how mostly people use ubuntu while feeling safe about their data. What is best way to use ubuntu?

Please tell whatever you know so that I can understand the way better. thanks

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I would definitely recommend the third choice.

Like you said, the first choice is bad since you're basically running within Windows. The second choice is alright, but if you can run Ubuntu on a separate HDD that would be best in my opinion.

If Ubuntu gets corrupted, there's no need for you to format the drive or partitions before recovering your data. If you're going to be running Windows as well, you can access the Linux partitions, granted that you don't encrypt them (if you do I'm sure you still can I just don't know how)

WIndows 7 can natively read Ext2, 3 and 4. If you're using an earlier version of Windows you can download and use ext2fsd to view the linux partitions.

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