Will all my files be deleted if I choose 'Erase disk and Install Ubuntu' when installing in a VMWare virtual machine?
I have downloaded VMWare Workstation Player and Ubuntu .iso file. My PC runs on Windows 10 (this is the only OS of the PC). While installing Ubuntu it asks for the installation type, and I am a little bit confused.
If I choose 'Erase disk and install Ubuntu, will my PC's all my hard drive be formatted, including files stored in the Windows OS, which is not a VM, or VMs see only the storage allocated for themselves?
If I create new partitions via 'Something else' option, will it overwrite my C: and D: disks on Windows OS?
3 Answers
If you are installing Ubuntu on a Virtual Machine, only the drives that are components of the virtual machine can be installed to. You can safely check by selecting the "Something Else" option with the installer. Here's an example in Virtualbox:
As you can see from the size and labeling the disk it's considering is most certainly too small to be an actual drive in my machine. It's a good idea to check the sizes of drives and partitions on your system and be familiar with them to avoid any mistakes. The size will be equivalent to the size you chose when you created the disk file (virtual disk) that the Virtual Machine actually uses.
Another indication that you are installing to a disk file and not a physical drive is that the installer is not providing the option to install alongside your host OS (Windows) as the VM doesn't see it.
Select ‘Erase disk and install Ubuntu’. Don’t worry. It won’t delete anything on your Windows operating system. You are using the virtual disk space of 15-20GB that we created in previous steps. It won’t impact the real operating system.
I installed Ubuntu about an hour ago, selected the above option, and everything's working fine like before.
1I think your question comes in two sets... So I will answer as such:
- Yes... If you choose "Erase disk and install Ubuntu" your whole hard drive will be formatted. "Erase disk and install Ubuntu" means you are authorizing the setup to erase your hard drive completely.
- It is good to create a partition while you are on Windows OS, and then make use of it through the "Something else" option.
I hope this helps you solve your problem.
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