Install Ubuntu on my laptop

Did you mean to post this here: http://ubuntuforums.org/ ?

@ejs75:

Hello,

I want to install Ubuntu on my Dell Inspiron laptop, but it won't allow me to install a linux partition (for some reason).

What I'd like to do:

– Make a backup of the WINXP OS currently on disk -> to external disk

-- Erase & Install Ubuntu onto disk

I have no idea how to make an image backup of the OS and save it on my external USB disk. Have never used windows backup software. If anyone can help, I would appreciate it.

What you can do is attach an external drive to your machine and create the image of your Windows OS there. Google Clonezilla or Image for Windows - they will point you to the right direction.

Once you have the image of Windows on the external drive you can install Ubuntu on it. Note that if you want to use one of those tools, you will have to boot from a CD that those tools created.

HTH

It's very easy to install Ubuntu on your Laptop. You should follow the instruction given on Ubuntu.com