I have an ASUS ROG that came with Windows 12 11 pre-installed. I tried using it once and it pissed me off so bad I haven’t opened the laptop again. I want to switch to a Linux distro that’s compatible with it but need the process explained like you would to Grandma trying to bank online. Are there any resources that break it WAY down? Like, starting just after turning the computer on (I’ve got that down already).

Edit to say: it has been pointed out that Windows 12 does not, in fact, exist and I may or may not be posting this from the future.

  • solrize@lemmy.ml
    1·
    1 month ago

    It’s probably best to get someone to help you in person. See if you are near a Linux user group since they often supply installation help.

    The method I always recommend is buy a new hard drive or SSD and swap it into the place of the old one, so you can swap back if something goes wrong. Then do a clean Linux install onto the new, empty drive.

    Don’t bother with dual boot, it’s complicated and often goes wrong, and anyway you’re trying to escape from Windows.

    As for installation, you may have to go to your Bios setup to allow booting from USB. Then, on another computer, go here:

    https://cdimage.debian.org/images/release/current-live/amd64/iso-hybrid/

    Download your favorite iso image. I’ll suggest “amd64-mate” if you don’t have a preference, since it should be pretty familiar looking to Windows users. Then you want to write a bootable image to a flash drive. I only know how to do that with Linux, but https://duckduckgo.com/?q=write+iso+image+to+flash+drive finds a bunch of pages for other OS’s.

    Finally, plug the flash drive into your ASUS machine and boot. You should get a bunch of installation prompts and you can generally follow the defaults. It will install a lot of packages one at a time and take around half an hour, so do something else for a while, but also keep an eye on the install process because it will occasionally prompt you for something.

    Come back after the installation finishes.

    • CulturedLout@lemmy.caOP
      2·
      1 month ago

      My levels of annoyance were so great they propelled me back in time to get a few more years to bitch about it.

  • CarrotsHaveEars@lemmy.ml
    0·
    1 month ago

    You sound like you have zero experience of Linux or reinstalling OS in general.

    If you care even just a bit about your computer, please pay a professional to do it for you. You can ask him questions while it’s installing too! It’s free!

    But if you treat it as yet another toy you could easily forget under the sofa, go to any mainstream Linux distros’ official website and start following their installation manual.

    • CulturedLout@lemmy.caOP
      1·
      1 month ago

      Right now it’s gathering dust on a shelf so it’s not getting any less usable no matter what happens to it. I found a site with some info about installing Linux on ROG, but was immediately over my head, which is why I’m asking you fine folks for help.

      • CarrotsHaveEars@lemmy.ml
        1·
        1 month ago

        Then install any distro by yourself. Immediately close the installation guide if it has even one line of command that requires typing, and hop on another distro’s installation guide.

        That is assuming newbies hate command lines. No offence.

        Not to mention now that there are tons of videos walking through you the process. They even show you how to enter a command and run it for the installation process! Reading skill isn’t required anymore!