Installation: Setting Up Linux Mint
We'll boot from the USB drive, run through the Linux Mint installer, and get your new operating system installed on its own SSD — completely separate from Windows.
What You Will Need
- The bootable Linux Mint USB drive from Part 1
- Your new SSD already installed in the computer
- About 45 minutes of free time
- Your BIOS boot menu key (from Part 1, Step 6)
- A Wi-Fi password or ethernet cable for internet access during install
Shut Down Windows Completely Before Starting
Do not use Restart — use Shut Down. Windows has a feature called Fast Startup that keeps it partially running even when "off." A full shutdown ensures Linux can safely access your drives.
To be safe: Start Menu → Power → hold Shift while clicking Shut Down. This forces a full shutdown.
Boot from the USB Drive
With your computer fully shut down, plug in the Linux Mint USB drive. Then power on your computer and immediately start pressing your boot menu key (F12, F11, F8, etc. — from Part 1, Step 6).
You need to press it repeatedly right after the power button — don't wait for anything to appear on screen. Press it every half second until a menu appears.
What You'll See
A boot menu will appear listing your drives. Look for your USB drive — it might say "USB", "Removable Device", or the brand name of your USB drive (e.g., "SanDisk", "Kingston"). Select it and press Enter.
If the boot menu doesn't appear and Windows loads normally, restart and try again — you need to press the key faster, before Windows starts loading.
Try Linux Mint (Live Session)
After selecting the USB drive, you'll see the Linux Mint boot menu. Select "Start Linux Mint" and press Enter.
Linux Mint will load a full live desktop directly from the USB drive. This is called a "live session" — you're running Linux without installing anything yet. Your computer's drives are untouched at this point.
Test Before You Install
Take a few minutes to click around the live desktop. Check that your Wi-Fi works, your screen resolution looks right, and the mouse and keyboard respond normally. If something doesn't work in the live session, it won't work after installing either — and you can research a fix before committing.
Start the Installer
When you're ready to install, double-click the "Install Linux Mint" icon on the desktop. It looks like a CD with an arrow.
The installer will open and walk you through several screens:
| Screen | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Language | Select your language and click Continue |
| Keyboard Layout | Select your keyboard layout (usually auto-detected correctly) |
| Multimedia Codecs | Check the box to install codecs — this lets you play MP3s and videos |
| Installation Type | See Step 4 below — this is the important one |
Choose Installation Type — The Critical Step
This is the most important screen. You'll see options for how to install Linux Mint.
Read This Carefully Before Clicking Anything
You will see an option that says something like "Erase disk and install Linux Mint". Do NOT select this if it's pointing at your Windows drive. Always check which drive is selected.
The safest option for your setup is "Something else" — this lets you manually choose which drive to install on. Here's what to do:
- Select "Something else" and click Continue
- You'll see a list of all drives. Identify your new empty SSD — it will show as "unallocated space" with no partitions, and its size will match your new drive
- Click on the free space on your new SSD and click the + button to create a partition
- Set the size to use all available space, set the type to Primary, filesystem to ext4, and mount point to / (a single forward slash)
- Click OK
- At the bottom of the screen, find the "Device for boot loader installation" dropdown. Set this to your new SSD (not the Windows drive)
- Click Install Now
Identifying Your Drives
Drives are listed as /dev/sda, /dev/sdb, /dev/nvme0n1, etc. Your Windows drive will have multiple partitions (usually 3–4). Your new empty SSD will show as one large block of free space. If you're unsure, check the size — a 500 GB drive shows as approximately 465 GB.
Complete the Installation Setup
While Linux Mint installs in the background, the installer will ask a few more questions:
| Question | What to Enter |
|---|---|
| Timezone | Click your location on the map or type your city |
| Your name | Your full name (used for your user account) |
| Computer name | A name for your computer (e.g., 'my-linux-pc') — no spaces |
| Username | Your login username — all lowercase, no spaces (e.g., 'john') |
| Password | A password you'll remember — you'll use this to install software |
| Login option | Choose 'Require password to log in' for security, or 'Log in automatically' for convenience |
About the Password
This password is used when installing software and making system changes (called "sudo"). You can disable this requirement later — Part 3 shows you how. For now, set something simple that you'll remember.
Wait for the Installation to Complete
The installer will copy files to your new SSD. This takes about 10–20 minutes depending on your hardware. You'll see a progress bar and some slides about Linux Mint features.
When it's done, a dialog will appear saying the installation is complete and asking whether to continue testing or restart. Click Restart Now.
Remove the USB When Prompted
The installer will tell you to remove the USB drive and press Enter. Do this — if you leave the USB in, your computer might try to boot from it again instead of your new Linux SSD.
Set Your Boot Priority in BIOS
After restarting, you have two options for how to choose between Windows and Linux at boot time:
| Method | How It Works | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| BIOS Boot Menu (F12) | Press F12 at startup to manually pick which drive to boot | Users who rarely switch OS |
| GRUB Bootloader | Linux shows a menu automatically at every boot | Users who switch often |
| BIOS Boot Priority | Set Linux as default in BIOS settings — press F12 to boot Windows when needed | Linux as daily driver |
To set boot priority in BIOS: press your BIOS key (usually Delete or F2) at startup, find the Boot section, and move your Linux SSD to the top of the boot order. Save and exit.
Linux Mint Is Installed!
Your computer now has two fully independent operating systems. Linux Mint is on its own SSD, Windows is on its own SSD, and neither can interfere with the other. Move on to Part 3 to set up your new Linux desktop.