This is a gem: Easy Linux tips project. It’s a set of detailed yet simple instructions for migrating from Windows to Linux. You get to choose between several different Linux distributions all of which are the easiest to use and each offers long term support so you don’t have to reinstall or upgrade every few months: Mint, Ubuntu and friends, and Peppermint. I stumbled across it when seeking the best advice for migrating your Windows email and settings over to a Linux system. I already knew, of course, but didn’t want to have to write it up myself. This one is about as simple as it gets.
While it’s not as if I would do everything just the same as this site suggests, it’s close enough. If you area considering migrating from Windows to Linux, I recommend this one as a decent source of information on what’s involved in the process.
Just a quick question. Can I do it all using the same hard drive? My system only has two SATA slots and one is dedicated to my CD/DVD drive
You can. Two options: (1) Wipe Windows and let Linux take the whole thing or (2) let the installer shrink Windows and put it into a separate partition, creating another for Linux. Then when you boot the machine, you can choose Linux or Windows. The installer will ask you what you want to do at some point.
Great! Good to know.