QUESTION re: Linux replaces Windows

I have a laptop computer with Windows 11 on it. On that laptop, I will soon replace Windows 11 with a Linux Distro.

When installing the Linux Distro, it will ask if I want to use the entire disk. I shall answer YES.

QUESTION: After the Linux Distro takes over management of the entire disk, I *assume* that Windows 11 will no longer be active, & that Linux will freely make use of the disk space previously used by Windows. ==>Am I correct in this assumption?<==

 

Short answer; yes. Linux will format the drive completely, including any recovery partitions reserved for restoring the machine to OEM default.

I would suggest imaging your drive before installing Linux, just in case you might need or want to restore back to factory specs any time in the future.

 

@Krusty Thank you to the nth!!!

 

Another alternative is to boot a live Linux distro, and to reduce the size of the Windows partition with Gparted.
Then you install Linux in the space left free.
At boot-up, Grub will allow you to select Windows or Linux.
Just a thought.

 

That question has already been answered.

 

@bellgamin , did the machine come with a HDD or SSD?

My little Mint machine came with Win8.1 on a HDD. I simply upgraded that machine to a SSD and clean installed Mint. The HDD has been put away for safety.

Just another thought.

 

@fblais & @longshots -- Thanks to both of you for your input. In the interest of clarity, here's what happened: I bought a brand new, well equipped HP laptop with Win11 pre-installed. Reason: I had detested Win10 so I was hoping Win11 was better. It wasn't. So I am done with the latest Windows versions and am switching to Linux.

I will continue use of my old Win7 laptop (I LOVE Win7) until I achieve similar ability in using Linux. I did a 3-week trial of MX Linux with XFCE several months ago. I found it to be readily learnable and waaay less of an annoying nanny-app than Win 10 & 11.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@Krusty -- The new computer has an SSD. I did a full system image of Win11 to a Samsung SSD external drive-- just a few seconds & it was done -- zzzoooooooooom!!! MUCH different than HD to HD imaging (which always gave me time for a cuppa and a bit of TV.)

 

If you are like me you will NEVER want to go back to Windows. After a year or so of 100% linux you will have picked up so much knowledge of how it works.