Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a completely different operating system. It has different code and accesses the disk and memory in its own way. It is not something that you run from Windows (as you run Internet Explorer or Microsoft Word or any other Windows application. It doesn't, in other words, require Windows to run. You can set up your machine to EITHER boot into Windows OR into Linux Ubuntu (and it is possible to tell Windows to allow Ubuntu to have its own memory allocation but that would make Ubuntu rather slow because Windows would need to reserve some RAM and processor time, even it is effectively doing nothing. It is far better to either set up a dual boot system where, when you switch on the PC, you choose whether you want to run Windows or Ubuntu. You should read the Ubuntu website (and other information) thoroughly to understand how to do this! You cannot run programs which are made for Windows in Linux. There are programs which are made both in Windows versions and Linux versions but the code has to be recompiled for each operating system and you would have to install both versions if you wanted to sometimes use them under Windows and sometimes under Linux. This is only true of applications. The documents you create in a Windows version of a program are generally readable by a Linux version (if there is one), so, for example, if you are using Open Office, any WP or spreadsheet data that you create in one version will be readable in the other version and will look much the same (unless you use Windows fonts which don't have a counterpart in Linux). There are very often Linux applications which, though different from the corresponding Windows apps, do a very similar job and are able to open the same file types.

I'm not as techno-savvy as the others who have replied here, but let me just answer with what little I know. You can choose to run Ubuntu within Windows through Virtualization. There are many software out there, but I recommend VirtualBox 'coz it's free! Unfortunately, Virtualization can be very exhausting for your computer, so another way would be to install Ubuntu on a separate partition and choose from the two every time your computer starts. As for your other questions, I guess the other guys here have answered it better than I can so I'll leave it to them! Good luck on your exploration into the world of Ubuntu!

Few months back, I was like same state like you. Its possible to install Ubuntu in windows environment. As per linux environment you suppose to need special kind of partition. But Ubuntu have the feature to install under windows platform without disturbing existing file system. You must pre install all drives along with BIOS updates and chip set drivers to install this Operating systems successfully. You can run ubuntu and windows as a dual mode.