# Preparing to switch

While using Windows you will have probably stored a great deal of data, including documents, emails, photographs and music. The chances are that you will want to keep most of this information for use with Ubuntu after you have switched. This section provides instructions on how to prepare yourself and your data for making the switch.

## Trying-out Ubuntu

It is possible to test whether Ubuntu works on your computer, without altering or affecting your files in any way, before installing it permanently. You can do this using the Ubuntu Desktop CD, which is able to start a cut-down version of Ubuntu on your computer without installing it. This is a good idea for a number of reasons:

- It allows you to determine whether Ubuntu is compatible with your hardware

- It helps you to get a feel for how Ubuntu works, and will allow you to explore some of its features

- It helps you decide whether Ubuntu is the right solution for your computing needs, without permanently altering the way your system currently operates

The Desktop CD contains a selection of applications which you can use without installing Ubuntu. However, because the entire system is being run from a CD, the computer will feel much slower than if Ubuntu were fully installed.

In order to try out Ubuntu, you will either need access to a computer with Ubuntu already installed, or your own copy of Ubuntu. See for advice on how to get your own copy.

## Hardware compatibility

Ubuntu offers support for a great deal of computer hardware and will run on most computers. However, some devices are currently unsupported and so cannot yet be used in Ubuntu. It is important to check that your hardware will work with Ubuntu before you make the switch, in order to avoid unnecessary frustration.

### Checking hardware compatibility

The easiest way to check whether your hardware is compatible with Ubuntu is to make use of the Ubuntu Desktop CD, described in . This will temporarily load a cut-down version of Ubuntu which may be able to use the device in question. You might find that certain hardware devices do not function correctly; for example, you may find that sounds are inaudible, or that your printer does not function correctly. However, this does not necessarily mean that your sound card or printer is unsupported.

Finding hardware information

To find out more information about your hardware while running Windows, press Start Run, type devmgmt.msc into the box provided and then press OK. This will start the Device Manager, which is able to show all devices currently connected to your computer.

1. Make a list of the devices connected to your computer which are not functioning correctly, noting their make and model.

2. Visit the Ubuntu Hardware Support pages and look-up the name of the device. It is possible that there is a simple way to get the device to function correctly; this might involve installing additional software, for example.

3. If you find that a device is either unsupported or not mentioned on the Hardware Support pages, use a search engine website (such as google.com) to search for Linux-compatible drivers for your device. For example, a search for `hp 1022 linux` should hopefully reveal whether the HP 1022 laser printer is supported under Linux or not.

4. Ultimately, the only way to be sure that your device works is by fully installing Ubuntu, especially if additional software (such as non-free device drivers) are required. See for more information.

5. If you find that your device does not work after having installed the full version of Ubuntu, seek support from one of the Ubuntu support channels. Ubuntu is a community project, and there will be many people on the forums, IRC channels, and mailing-lists who may be able to help you solve your problem. The solution may be as simple as installing an optional package to add support for your device.

6. If your device is known to be unsupported, consider buying a replacement device, if this is practical. Select a device which is listed on the Hardware Support pages, if possible.

If you are still having problems getting a device to work, you may be able to find advice and instructions on the Ubuntu Community Help pages.

### Problematic devices

Certain types of device are poorly supported by Ubuntu for various reasons. If you have such a device, it may be difficult or impossible to get it to work under Ubuntu. Below is a list of some poorly-supported device types:

- Software dial-up modems

- Some USB broadband modems

- Scanners

While a considerable number of the devices of the types listed above are unsupported, there will generally be at least a few devices available which are supported.

## Organizing your files

A good way of making sure that your data is safe and ready to be used in Ubuntu is to organize your files before you make the switch.

- Delete files which you do not use or need any more

- Organize your files neatly into folders

- Move all of your files into one central location

- Make sure that you have a copy of all of the files you want to keep

### General file organization

Of all of the data on your computer, a sizeable portion is likely to be redundant. That is, it is data which you will never need to use again, and there is no value in saving it for posterity. Before switching to Ubuntu, it is a good idea to identify and remove this redundant data. This has the advantage of reducing the amount of data which you must copy across from your Windows installation to your new Ubuntu installation.

If your data is organized neatly, back-up and retrieval of that data when you make the switch will be much simplified. It is worth spending a little time organizing your data into one location, with different directories for different files and folders. If you have a tidy collection of documents, you are less likely to forget an important document when making the switch.

It is recommended that you move all of the files you wish to save into your `My Documents` folder and then organize them into folders (for example, by category or by type of file). This way, everything you need is in one location rather than being spread across multiple directories.

There are many tools available to help you to organize your data and to remove unused files. Windows XP has a built-in tool to help you to clean-up your files. Press Start All Programs Accessories System Tools Disk Cleanup to run the Windows XP Disk Cleanup Tool.

### Finding forgotten files

You may have stored files in a location which you have forgotten about. As such, you may miss these files out of your back-up procedure and so they will not be transferred across to your Ubuntu installation. To find files of a specific type, regardless of their location, follow this procedure:

1. Press Start Search to start the Search application.

2. Press the All files and folders button.

3. In the box labelled All or part of the file name:, type `*.doc` (where `.doc` is the file extension of the type of document you wish to search for).

4. In the selection box labelled Look in:, ensure that the Local hard drives option is selected.

5. Press Search. All files of the `.doc` type will be found. To find files of other formats, substitute `.doc` for the file format which you wish to search for.

## Converting unsupported file types

While applications available for Ubuntu support most common file types, there are still many file types which are not supported. If you have files in an unsupported format, it is recommended that you try to convert them to a supported format before switching. This section covers some common, unsupported or only partially-supported file types and lists possible alternatives and methods of conversion.

- Some types of file cannot be used in Ubuntu

- Check to see whether the file types you use are supported

- Convert the files which are of an unsupported type

### Converting unsupported audio formats

- Many common audio formats cannot be played on Ubuntu without the installation of additional software. This is due to legal restrictions.

Unfortunately, due to legal restrictions and technical issues with some common audio formats, Ubuntu cannot play certain audio formats out-of-the-box. While support for certain restricted formats can be added after you have installed Ubuntu, it can be advantageous to convert audio files to a well-supported format. This is especially important if the files have been encoded using some form of Digital Rights Management (DRM) software, as DRM restrictions can render files unplayable in all applications but the one in which they were applied.

The following major audio formats are proprietary and so are not supported by default in Ubuntu:

- MP3

- WMA

- AAC

- RealAudio

For a well-supported audio format to replace MP3 and WMA, consider the Ogg Vorbis format. For a well-supported lossless (very high quality) format to replace AAC Lossless and WMA-VBR, consider the FLAC format. Both of these formats are open, and can be played in Ubuntu without the installation of any additional software.

There are many audio conversion applications for Windows available for download, and some of these can be obtained free of charge. These applications are also sometimes referred to as audio (re)encoders. Your choice of application depends on the formats which you wish to convert from and to. See websites such as Download.com for a list of potentially useful applications.

It is still possible to add support for many restricted formats (such as those listed above) to Ubuntu after installation. See the Restricted Formats document on the Ubuntu community support website for more information.

### Converting unsupported video formats

- Many common video formats cannot be played on Ubuntu without the installation of additional software. This is due to legal restrictions.

As with audio formats, due to legal and technical issues many video formats are not supported by the default Ubuntu install. While support for some formats can be added at a later date, it is recommended that you convert important video files in unsupported formats to a format which is well supported in Ubuntu.

As with the audio formats, there are many video converter applications available as free-of-charge downloads for Windows. Consider converting your video files to a format which is well-supported by Ubuntu, such as Ogg Theora.

The following major video formats are not supported by default in Ubuntu:

- WMV

- RealVideo

- DivX

- QuickTime

It is still possible to add support for many restricted formats (such as those listed above) to Ubuntu after installation. See the Restricted Formats document on the Ubuntu community support website for more information.

### Converting unsupported office document formats

- Ubuntu office applications can read most common office document formats without the need for conversion

The default office suite of Ubuntu, OpenOffice.org, supports very many office document formats right out of the box. These include many of the Microsoft Office, Corel and Lotus formats. If you find that you do have files in formats which are unsupported, it is likely that your existing office suite or application will have the ability to save the files to a better-supported format.

The OpenDocument file formats are gaining popularity and are the de facto supported office formats for Ubuntu. While many older applications cannot save to the OpenDocument format, other formats such as `.doc` and `RTF` are also well supported.

### Converting from application-specific formats

- Some file formats are specific to particular Windows-only applications, and so cannot be used with Ubuntu software

Many applications use file formats specific to them. A good example is the Adobe Photoshop file format. Formats such as these are generally able to store additional data compared to widely-used standard formats and so are still useful. You may find that applications exist on Ubuntu to convert or use application specific formats. The GIMP Image Editor is able to use Adobe PSD files, for example.

If you are uncertain whether a format is application-specific or has a usable alternative, seek help from an Ubuntu support channel.

## Backing-up your Windows installation

It is possible to back-up your Windows installation as a whole, using a disk imaging utility. Such a utility creates an exact copy of your current Windows installation, which can be saved to several discs. If you experience a major problem when migrating, having a disk image allows you to restore your Windows installation fully without losing any data or settings. However, disk imaging utilities can be expensive and also require a great deal of storage space.

Ubuntu does not currently provide disk-imaging software, and so such software can only be obtained from third party suppliers.

Below is a list of disk-imaging utilities:

- Acronis True Image*

- g4u

- Norton Ghost*

- Paragon Drive Backup*

* commercial (non-free) software

## Internet connection settings

The Internet connection settings which are relevant to you will depend on the type and supplier of your Internet connection. Your supplier will generally be able to advise you of the relevant settings if you encounter difficulties in finding them yourself.

If you connect to the Internet using a network or router, see for instructions.

### Dial-up Internet connection

Below is a list of the information which you are likely to need:

- User name

- Password

- Dial-up telephone number

- Modem chipset name

You may also require the following information:

- Dial-out number

- Dialling type (tone or pulse)

- Authentication type

Dial-up modems are poorly supported in Ubuntu. This is because most dial-up modems are designed exclusively for Windows, and so cannot be used on other operating systems.

### Broadband Internet connection

Below is a list of common settings which you are likely to need:

- User name

- Password

- Dialling telephone number

- Connection type (usually PPPoE or PPPoA)

It is possible that you may also require the following technical information, which should be available from your Internet service provider:

Certain USB broadband modems are not supported by default by Ubuntu. If possible, use an Ethernet modem instead.

- IP address and subnet mask

- DNS server, gateway IP address or DHCP server

- VPI/VCI

- MTU

- Encapsulation type

- DHCP settings

### Proxy server settings

If you connect to the Internet through a proxy server, you will need to make a note of some details of the proxy server in order to allow Ubuntu to connect to the Internet.

1. Press Start Control Panel.

   - If the Control Panel has a purple background, press Network and Internet Connections Internet Options.

   - If the Control Panel has a white background, press Internet Options.

2. On the Connections tab, press LAN Settings....

3. If the Use a proxy server for your LAN option is ticked, this means that you are connecting to the Internet through a proxy server.

4. Press Advanced... and make a note of the contents of the boxes on the screen which appears. These are your proxy settings.

## Network settings

While Ubuntu is usually able to automatically detect the settings for your network, it is wise to make a note of relevant network settings in case the network you are trying to connect to cannot be handled automatically.

### Home networks

If you have a home network, perhaps connected using a router or switch, there are a few settings which you may need in order to connect to the network successfully. While most networks will be able to assign the correct settings to Ubuntu automatically, some networks cannot.

Follow the instructions below to obtain a copy of the network settings which you may need:

1. Press Start All Programs Accessories Command Prompt.

2. A black screen called Command Prompt will appear. Into the screen, type

       ipconfig /all

   and press Enter. This will list a set of network settings for each of the networking devices you have installed. You may have one or several networking devices.

3. Now, type

       ipconfig /all > C:\network_settings.txt

   and then press Enter. This will store the settings you have just seen in the file `C:\network_settings.txt`.

4. Locate and open `C:\network_settings` in a text editing program, such as Notepad. Print out a copy of the file if possible.

### Windows networks

If you connect to a Windows network, you may need some additional information in order to be able to see documents placed in network shares. If you connect to a network administered by another person, ask that person for the relevant information on connecting to the network. Otherwise, ensure that you have access to the information listed below:

- Domain or workgroup name

- Your username and password on the network

### Wireless networks

There are a couple of important pieces of information which you should have to hand if you would like to connect to a wireless network:

- Network name (SSID)

- WEP encryption key or WPA passkey

There are numerous ways of discovering this information. If your wireless network uses a wireless router, you should be able to find this information from the configuration pages of the router. Consult the router manual for more information on where to find the relevant information.

### VPNs

Virtual Private Networks are a type of network which allow you to connect to a remote private network using a public network such as the Internet. There are many different types of VPN, which have varying degrees of support under Ubuntu. If you need to connect to a VPN, first identify the type of VPN which you are connecting to. If the VPN is supported under Ubuntu, it is possible that a document will be available from the website of the VPN vendor which can help you connect to the network.

Ensure that you have all of the VPN connection information that you think you may require.

## Web browser bookmarks

It is likely that you have many bookmarked websites in your web browser. This section helps you back them up.

### Internet Explorer

#### Internet Explorer 6

To backup your Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 web browser:

1. Start Internet Explorer.

2. Press File Import and Export....

3. The Import/Export Wizard will start. Press Next.

4. Select Export Favorites and press Next.

5. Select the folder from which you want to export your favorites. Selecting the Favorites folder will export all of them. Press Next.

6. Select Export to a File or Address and choose a filename. Press Next.

7. Completing the Import/Export Wizard will be displayed. Press Finish.

8. Your bookmarks will have been saved to the filename you specified previously.

#### Internet Explorer 7

To backup your Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 web browser:

1. Start Internet Explorer.

2. Press Favorites.

3. Click the arrow beside the Add To Favorites button. Then click Import/Export.

4. The Import/Export Wizard will start. Press Next.

5. Select Export Favorites and press Next.

6. Select the folder from which you want to export your favorites. Selecting the Favorites folder will export all of them. Press Next.

7. Select Export to a File or Address and choose a filename. Press Next.

8. Completing the Import/Export Wizard will be displayed. Press Export.

9. Your bookmarks will have been saved to the filename you specified previously.

#### Internet Explorer 8

To backup your Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 web browser:

1. Start Internet Explorer.

2. Press the Favorites button.

3. Click the arrow beside the Add To Favorites... button.

4. Select Import and Export...

5. The Import/Export Settings wizard will start.

6. Select Export to a file and press Next.

7. Check the box for Favorites and press Next.

8. Select the folder from which you want to export your favorites. Selecting the Favorites folder will export all of them. Press Next.

9. Click Browse... to select a file name and location to save the exported favorites to. Press Export.

10. Press Finish.

11. Your bookmarks will have been saved to the filename you specified previously.

### Mozilla Firefox

To backup your Mozilla Firefox web browser:

1. Start Mozilla Firefox.

2. Press Bookmarks Organize Bookmarks....

3. Press Import and Backup Export HTML....

4. Choose a filename and then press Save.

### Opera

To backup your Opera web browser:

1. Start Opera.

2. Press File Import and Export Export Bookmarks as HTML.

3. Press File Export....

4. Choose a filename and then press Save.

## Emails and mail account settings

You can use the same email account in Ubuntu as you have done in Windows. If you have a Web-based email account, then you should simply be able to access it using the a web browser as you would have done in Windows. Otherwise, please note down the following information so that you can re-create your account settings on Ubuntu:

- Email address

- Password

- POP3 or IMAP server

- SMTP server

- Authentication method

The instructions on exporting emails and email account settings are specific to particular applications. Instructions for some popular email clients are given in the following sections; users of other applications may find instructions relevant to their mail application from the Ubuntu community support website.

### Microsoft Outlook Express

These instructions are intended for users of Microsoft Outlook Express 6. If you are a user of a different version of Outlook Express, you may find instructions specific to that version from the Ubuntu community support website.

#### Exporting the address book

1. Open Outlook Express and press File Export Address Book...

2. The Address Book Export Tool will start. Select the option Text File (Comma Separated Values) and then press Export.

3. Save the file in a memorable location. Give the file a descriptive name, such as `mail_address_book.csv`, and press Next.

4. Select the details from the address book which you would like to export. If you are unsure, tick all of the options. Then, press Finish.

5. You should receive a message stating that the Address book export process has completed. Press OK and then Close. Your address book should now have been exported successfully.

#### Exporting mail messages from Outlook Express

You do not need to export mail messages if you use IMAP for retrieving email from your mail server - the email is still stored on the server. You only need to export mail messages if you use POP3 to retrieve email from your mail server. This is because by default the email will not be persisted on the server after it has been downloaded to your computer when using POP3.

Because Microsoft Outlook Express is unable to export its mail messages to an intermediate format, you must install another piece of software in order to export your email.

Please see for instructions on importing your email into the Mozilla Thunderbird application, which will allow the exporting of your messages.

### Microsoft Office Outlook

These instructions are intended for users of Microsoft Office Outlook 2003. If you are a user of a different version of Outlook, you may find instructions specific to that version on the wiki.

#### Exporting all Outlook data

This method may be unreliable and should be used for backup purposes only.

1. Open Outlook and press Tools Options...

2. Select the Mail Setup tab and press Data Files...

3. A screen called Outlook Data Files will be displayed. Select the first file in the list, make a note of its name, and press Open Folder...

4. A folder will open. Find the file you just selected. If you have difficultly finding the file, it should be of type Office Data File or have the file extension `.pst`.

5. Copy the file into the location you are using to store your exported settings.

6. Repeat this process for all of the files which were listed on the Outlook Data Files screen.

#### Exporting your contacts

1. Open Outlook and press File Import and Export...

2. The Import and Export Wizard will start. Select the option Export to a file and then press Next.

3. Select Comma Separated Values (DOS) and press Next

4. Select the Contacts folder and press Next. Then, choose where to save the file and press Next.

5. A screen listing Actions to be performed will be shown. Press Finish to export your contacts to the location you selected in the previous step.

#### Exporting your calendar

1. Open Outlook and press File Import and Export...

2. The Import and Export Wizard will start. Select the option Export to a file and then press Next.

3. Select Comma Separated Values (DOS) and press Next

4. Select the Calendars folder and press Next. Then, choose where to save the file and press Next.

5. A screen listing Actions to be performed will be shown. Press Finish to export your contacts to the location you selected in the previous step.

#### Exporting mail messages

Because Microsoft Outlook is unable to fully export its mail messages to a usable intermediate format, you must install another piece of software in order to export your email.

Please see for instructions on importing your email into the Mozilla Thunderbird application, which will allow the exporting of your messages.

### Preparing email for export using Mozilla Thunderbird

Because some mail clients (such as Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Outlook Express) do not store their mail messages in a standard format, an additional piece of software must be used to convert the mail before export. Mozilla Thunderbird is a free, open-source application which is able to do this.

The following instructions explain how to obtain Thunderbird and then use it to prepare mail messages for export:

1. Open a web browser and navigate to the Mozilla Thunderbird website. Follow the link to download Mozilla Thunderbird.

2. Once the download has completed, run the installer package. Follow the instructions to install Thunderbird.

3. Once the installer has completed, start Mozilla Thunderbird. You should be greeted with the Import Wizard. Follow the instructions to import all settings - this should import your mail and some other data.

4. If the Import Wizard does not appear, press Tools Import... and choose the Mail option. Follow the instructions to import your mail.

Once all of your mail has been imported, you must now make a copy of it for exporting. Please see for instructions on how to do this.

### Exporting email messages from Mozilla Thunderbird

These instructions are intended for users of Mozilla Thunderbird and users of Outlook and Outlook Express who imported their mail into Thunderbird (see ).

1. Press Start Run, type %AppData%\Thunderbird\Profiles\ into the box provided, and then press OK. A folder will open.

2. In the newly-opened folder, you should find another folder with a name made up mostly of random characters, for example fyhsxlr3.default. Open this folder.

3. In this folder, locate a folder named `Mail` or `ImapMail`. Select this folder and copy it to a safe location.

4. When you switch to Ubuntu, make a back-up copy of the folder you just made a copy of. This folder contains all of your mail folders from Thunderbird, in the mbox format.

## Instant messaging settings

If you use instant messaging (chat) software, you will have set up a user account on an instant messaging network. Ubuntu has excellent support for many instant messaging networks by default, so you should still be able to use your existing account after you have switched. Make a note of the following information about your instant messaging account:

- User name

- Password

- Screen name or alias

If possible, also make a copy of your buddy- or contact-list.

## Transferring your data safely

Once you have collected together all of the files and settings you might need, you must create a copy of them which can be stored safely while you initially install Ubuntu. There are many ways of storing a copy of this data, and which method you choose will depend on your particular circumstances.

After you have made a copy of your files, it is very important to test the files to ensure that they have been copied successfully. If you have many files, at least check the most important files and randomly check other files where possible. This will help to protect you from data loss.

### Direct transfer

If you are installing Ubuntu onto a different computer than the one on which your data is stored, you can leave the data you collected on that computer and then transfer the data across once Ubuntu has been installed onto the other computer.

When ready, you can transfer the data between the computers using a network connection.

### CD or DVD disc

A common and reliable way of backing-up data is by using a recordable CD or DVD disc. CDs and DVDs can be used by almost all computers and are relatively cheap. However, your computer must have a CD or DVD recorder drive installed and you may have to use several CDs or DVDs if the data you have collected is larger than the capacity of a single disc.

If possible, use DVD discs as these have a larger capacity and so you will require fewer discs to store all of your data. CDs typically have a capacity of 650-700MB while DVDs can normally hold up to 4.5GB of data (roughly equivalent to 7 CDs).

In order to store data on a blank CD or DVD, you must use a CD writing application. Microsoft Windows XP includes such an application by default, although other applications are capable of storing your data just as well.

1. Eject any disc currently in the CD/DVD writer drive.

2. Press Start My Computer. Locate your CD or DVD writing drive - it will likely have a name such as CD-RW drive.

3. Double-click on the icon of the drive. A blank folder should open, with a heading called CD Writing Tasks shown in the blue panel to the left of the screen.

4. Leave this folder open and then open the folder containing the files which you have collected together in a new window.

5. Select as many files as you are able to fit onto the disc which you will be using. You can check the size of the current selection by right-clicking any selected file and choosing Properties from the menu which appears. The Size field on the General tab gives the size of the current selection.

6. Copy the selected files into the CD- or DVD-drive folder which you opened earlier.

7. Press Write these files to CD, which can be found in the blue panel. The CD Writing Wizard will start.

8. Follow the on-screen instructions. The selected files will be written to a blank CD or DVD.

9. Once the disc has been written, eject it and then re-insert it into the drive. In `My Computer`, open the drive and check that the files you just copied to the CD are visible there. Try opening a few of them just to make sure.

10. Repeat this procedure until all of the files you collected together are safely stored onto CDs or DVDs.

Once you have stored your data onto discs, ensure that the discs are well protected and labelled correctly. If you scratch or otherwise damage a disc, you may lose some of the data stored on it. Labelling discs also helps to avoid confusion and will allow you to quickly find data when the time comes to transfer it back onto a computer.

### External hard-disk drive or other removable device

If you have access to an external hard-disk drive or some other removable storage device of a great enough capacity, then you can simply copy the files you have collected onto this device. When ready to transfer the files onto your Ubuntu installation, you may simply connect the drive and copy the files from it again.

Removable storage devices such as external hard disks will have a certain type of file system. For use on removable devices, the best supported filesystem for Ubuntu is FAT (also called FAT32 or vfat). While other file systems (such as NTFS and HFS+) are usable, they may require additional steps to allow you to use them with Ubuntu. If possible, try to use the FAT format for your removable disk.

You can discover the format of an external disk by right-clicking it in `My Computer` and selecting Properties. The format of the disk is shown in the General tab under File system.

### Network share

If your computer is connected to a network, you may be able to temporarily store the files which you collected together on another computer on the network.

1. Ensure that a computer on the network has sufficient disk space to allow you to copy your files onto it.

2. Ensure that you are able to copy files onto the other computer from your computer. To be able to do this, the computer must have at least one network share/shared folder and you must have write privileges for that network share.

3. Open the network share on your computer. This can normally be accessed by pressing Start My Computer My Network Places and then finding the network share or the computer which provides the network share.

4. Copy the files you collected to the network share. This may take some time depending on the size of your files and the speed of your network connection.

### Secondary hard-disk partition

If you have a second partition available on your hard disk or have more than one hard disk, then it is possible to copy the files you have collected onto this second drive.

You must be very careful not to over-write the partition on which you have stored your data. It is recommended to make additional back-up copies of your files onto CDs or DVDs in case of this.

Simply copy the files you have collected onto the second drive as it appears in `My Computer`. Ensure that this drive (or partition) is not the one which you intend to install Ubuntu on to.