Small question about OS'es...

I'm just wondering, could I put (for example!!) Ubuntu on my PC on another (seperate) HD and leave Windows on the main HD? (so no dualboot)

How would I achieve this?

Unhook all the drives except the one you want to install Ubuntu on, then install it.
Then when Ubuntu is installed... you can hook up the other drives.

Then, in the BIOS, set w/e boot order you want.
Then when booting the comp, hit w/e key brings up the boot priority, and choose which drive to boot from.

On my motherboard it's the F8 key. You'll have to check your manual to find which key it is for your motherboard.



/edit

If I was doing that, in the BIOS, I'd set the Windows drive first in the boot order, then the Ubuntu drive.

Then when I booted the computer it would boot into Windows, by default. But if I wanted to boot into Ubuntu, I would hit the F8 key and choose the Ubuntu drive instead.




This is what I would see when I hit the F8 key...










Like I said... you'll have to find out which key brings up the boot menu for your motherboard.






/edit2

Doing it this way keeps the Windows boot files on the Windows drive, and the Ubuntu boot files on the Ubuntu drive.

If you set the Windows drive to be the 1st boot device in the BIOS, then the comp will boot to Windows by default.
If you set the Ubuntu drive, 1st in the BIOS, then comp will boot to Ubuntu by default.

If you decide to boot from the OS that isn't the default, you just hit whichever key brings up the "boot menu", so you can choose the other drive (OS).

Hello @RingTailCoon.

Rocky said:

It is very easy to accomplish by unplugging all of your drives except your target drive when you add any additional operating systems.

This is a definite MUST in my opinion, although you will be surprised how many people do NOT do this and then end up with problems with the BOOTLOADER. Here is something I put together explaining this . . .

 Disconnect ALL Other Disks

It is highly recommended that you disconnect [ temporarily unplug ] ALL other Disks [ HDD's/SSD's/US's ] BEFORE installing Windows. The reasons for this are . . .

• You CAN'T accidentally OVERWRITE a connected Disk.
• The BOOTLOADER [ boot configuration files ] will get installed on the correct Disk [ because Windows has the tendency to install the bootloader rather randomly on ANY connected Disk ], and therefore STOP problems with booting once the installation is complete.

Once the installation is complete . . .

• Check that the OS boots correctly.
• Check if the boot order in the BIOS/UEFI settings are correct [ if NOT, adjust accordingly ].
• Reconnectthe other Disks.

EXPLANATION:

Windows uses a different partition structure for BIOS/UEFI. During the installation process, Windows asks which Disk / Partition you want to use for the Windows C:\ drive, it does NOT however, necessarily use the same Disk for the other Partitions, and can therefore incorrectly create the hidden recovery partition on ANY attached Disk.

Additionally, for BIOS, if another Disk is left attached, and at a latter stage you remove that Disk, you will find that the OS will NOT boot. If you check the BIOS, you will see that the OS has assigned the AHCI/RAID setting instead of the LEGACY setting and set it up as RAID, therefore breaking the boot process.

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I hope this helps.