newbie needs instruction and other guidance

i have a wintel 64-bit hardware, 32-bit vista oem'd on c:\250GB, and a never-used (much-later integrated) d:\500GB. i want to install Unix and Linux on the d:\

i just purchased ATI 11.0 and Disk Director Suite 10.0.

i assume that i will need to install ATI first, to obviate the lavish pains associated with a vista re-install ... am i correct so far? and i will therefore need to initially install ATI on c:\ ... again, is this correct?

can i then install DDS on the (now-vacant) d:\, or must i install DDS on c:\?

if i must install DDS on c:\ then, with DDS now on c:\, will i be able to install *Nix on d:\? [GLOW="purple"]i assume that a DDS wizard will guide me through this (i pray!)?[/GLOW]

now that i have *Nix on d:\, can i now uninstall ATI on c:\ and re-install ATI on d:\?

and parallelly, can i also uninstall DDS on c:\ and re-install DDS on d:\?

if this is all correct then does it make a difference whether ATI and DDS run on Linux, Unix (or Vista)?


can i just initially install ATI and/or DDS on a 1GB flash drive (rather than on on c:\)?


finally, are there any thoughts on what flavors of Unix and Linux to install?

many thanks for all your help.

 

DDS and TI are Windows programs and should preferably be installed where your other program files are located, probably on C:\Programs.

You can put your Linux files wherever you want. If you want complete independence from Windows, putting them on the 500 GB hard disk may make sense.

TI and DD are Windows programs and will not run in Linux. You should probably leave them installed with your other Windows programs.

TI and DD have the capability to create bootable recovery versions on a USB flash drive. Check out the Bootable Media Builder menu choice from either program after installation.

Ubuntu or Kubuntu are good distributions to start out with. Before you install, download the Live CD versions and try them out.

Final tips -- if you are just starting out with these programs then I would recommend that you do not create a secure zone with TI or activate the Acronis Startup Recovery Manager until you fully understand all of the implications of using them. Also, do not install or activate OS Selector in Disk Director until thoroughly understanding how it works. If running Linux, you will have the choice of using the Linux bootloader or OS Selector as a boot manager.