How to Run Ubuntu on Windows in 5 simple steps?

Soumyadeep Pradhan

6 min readJan 14, 2021

Last Updated — May 2021

Run Ubuntu on Windows in 5 simple steps.

Step 1 — Download all the required files

Download the Latest version of VirtualBox and install it on Windows.

**Click on the Windows Hosts to Download the VirtalBox Software**

Then, download the Ubuntu OS LTS Version(.iso file/system image) and keep it on the desktop or remember the location of the .iso file where it is downloaded.

Step 2 — Setting Up the Ubuntu OS in VirtualBox

After Installation of VirtualBox, launch it. You’ll see a number of Icons on the top eg. Preference, Import, New, Add, etc.

Now, select on New ✹ and you’ll see a popup saying to give name, type and version of the Virtual Machine.

Enter the name of the Virtual Machine as Ubuntu as you are installing Ubuntu OS. Then, chose the folder where you want to install Ubuntu (Make sure you have atleast 50 gb of space on that drive where you are installing).

Select the type to Linux and version to Ubuntu (64-bit), then click on Next.

Now you’ll have to give RAM size to run Ubuntu (this is the ram size which will be used to run Ubuntu on it). If you have 8 GB RAM, put the memory size atleast 2048 MB (ie. 2GB) and if you have 16 GB RAM, put the memory size
4096 MB(ie. 4GB) in order to run Ubuntu seamlessly.

NOTE — The RAM will only be allocated when you run Ubuntu.

Now, you’ll see a Hard disk option where the default size of hard disk is set to 10 GB. Don’t change anything, simply click on Create Button.

Then, you’ll see another popup saying to chose hard disk file type. Here you have to choose VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image) and click on Next Button and then choose the storage of the hard disk to Dynamically allocated and click on Next.

Here,you have to select the hard disk size you want. Eg. 50 GB.(This will be the Hard disk memory size inside the Ubuntu). Don’t change the hard disk location as it’ll lead to unstability while running the OS, just click on Create Button.

And you’re done setting up the environment ie. Setting up the Hard Disk size, Ram Memory Size, etc.

Step 3— Installing Ubuntu

Before Starting the Machine, you have to configure something else also.

On the VirtualBox homescreen, click on Setting ⚙️, then navigate to Storage → Controller: IDE — Empty → Under Attributes choose disk file.

The Disk file here is the Ubuntu .iso file you’ve downloaded. Select the disk file and click on OK.

Now Start the Machine ➡️.

While starting the machine, you’ll see a prompt asking to select a Start-up disk. If you see the default .iso file(that you’ve downloded) is selected then just press Start OR select your .iso file of Ubuntu and press Start.

Now, you’ll see a start-up screen saying to chose between Try Ubuntu and Install Ubuntu. So, you can directly enter to Ubuntu OS by clicking Try Ubuntu but as we need a readymade Ubuntu OS to be in our computer, we will select Install Ubuntu.

After this, select the Language of Installation. If you want change the language of your choice select it else the default language will be selected to English US then simply click on Next.

Now, you will have to chose whether you want to install the full Version of Ubuntu (ie. with Browser, office, games, media players, etc.) OR the minimal Version of Ubuntu (ie. with simple Utilities).

For Now, Minimal installation will be much better and faster. So click on Continue.

NOTE: You can install other apps afterwards like Office, games, Media players, etc.

You’ll now get two options to install : Erase disk and Install Ubuntu and Something Else. Just select Erase disk and Install Ubuntu and click on Install Now. Then, you’ll get a prompt regarding partition. Simply click on Continue.

By doing this, you’re not erasing your whole computer/your Windows’ Hard Disk. Instead you’re just erasing the portion hard disk that you allocated for this in STEP 2 . ie. 30 GB

After this, give the location where you live. Then set your name, username, password, etc for the OS as you do it in Windows and click on Continue.

And now, you’re Done !!.

— You can now Operate Ubuntu alongside Windows simultaneously

Step 4 — Fixing Screen Maximizing Problem

If you are facing Screen Scaling Problem (ie. the Ubuntu Screen is not maximizing to the desired size) then do the following steps.

Open the Terminal in Ubuntu. (Windows Key → Search “Terminal” → Open Terminal) And write this command -

sudo apt install build-essential dkms linux-headers-$(uname -r)

Enter the password that you’ve set for this Ubuntu OS and press Enter.

NOTE: The password will be invisible so simply type the password and press Enter.

Then some utilities will be downloaded. (During downloading type ‘y’ if prompted). After the downloading completes close the terminal.

Now, Click on Devices →Insert Guest Addition CD Image → Run

Here, a setup will begin. After the setup is completed, a completion message will be displayed as “Press Return to close this window…”

Now press the Enter Key and just close the Ubuntu OS by pressing Power Off.

Now from VirtualBox homescreen Start Ubuntu again and the problem is fixed.

NOTE: You Can directly open Ubuntu searching “Ubuntu” in the Start Screen

Ubuntu is Successfully Installed on Windows

Step 5 — Some important settings to Configure

If you are working on Ubuntu alongside Windows, following are some settings that you should configure:

★ Save the machine state instead of Power Off:

You can directly close the Ubuntu by clicking the Cross Button ❌ of the VirtualBox’s app window. Here you’ll be prompted three options. Now you must select ‘Save the machine state’ instead of ‘Power Off the machine’ because next time you start Ubuntu, it may take a lot of time to boot up and to load the OS completely.