Installing Ubuntu alongside Windows on a laptop - original recovery configuration

[baskak]

Hi,
I'd like to install Ubuntu alongside Windows on a HP Pavilion x360. I wonder if my original boot configuration, allowing for recovery and reverting to like-new state (OOBE) will be irrecoverably overwritten/destroyed?
Thanks in advance.

[Rubi1200]

What version of Windows is currently installed? What version of Ubuntu do you want to install? Do you have backups of all important data?

[yancek]

I would not expect that to happen without a user choosing to do so. There are generally several install options and the only one I would expect to overwrite everything is the 'Erase Disk and install Ubuntu' option. At least if I am understanding what you mean by the 'like-new state'. If by that you mean returning to the state it came from the factory using the windows recovery partition, you should be able to access through the BIOS. This recovery option will obviously overwrite everything on the disk to return it to the factory state so you need backups. Backups should/may be able to be done when starting the recovery process but much safer to do beforehand.

If that is not what you meant then clarify what you mean by 'original boot configuration'.

[baskak]

Thanks for the replies! By "original boot configuration" I mean the one that allows for access to recovery partition via a key on startup or via restart in a Windows recovery mode in order to revert to "factory state" (OOBE - Out-Of-Box Experience).
Don't worry about the backups, I'm on it.
Currently it's Windows 10 Home 22H2, I want to install current Ubuntu (24.04).

[ubfan1]

The changes to "revert" are to delete the Ubuntu partition and expand the windows partition, delete the EFI's partition EFI/ubuntu directory, and reset the EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi to the windows boot manager (EFI/Microsoft/bootmgfw.efi, but it may have been renamed to bak... something in the Boot dir). Not sure how your nvram gets reset, might be automatic without the actual grub files deleted from EFI/ubuntu. I've never done this, but have been messing around with EFI for years.

[baskak]

I see, so it will be overwritten and needs some fiddling after all.

[oldfred]

I had to return my Dell for a new motherboard. I think they did not update UEFI with old Microsoft product key.
My Kubuntu install worked without issue, but Windows would not boot. Tried every repair and normal Windows install, but nothing worked. Backup would not install either.

Downloaded from Dell an image restore. Not all vendors allow download like that. But Dell image restored Windows to just like new. And that restored partition table totally erasing my Kubuntu install. But Dell laptop Kubuntu install was essentially a copy of my install on desktop, so nothing really lost.
Debating reinstalling to Dell as I have a larger external SSD with a full install (and is copy of desktop). It works just as good for everything I use system for, so will probably just rely on external drive and let Windows have internal drive.

[yancek]

If you run the command: sudo fdisk -l it will LIST the partitions on the drive and if you have windows installed, there should be several partitions. One (the largest) would be the filesystem partition and you should also have Microsoft reserved and a Windows recovery environment partition. I don't use windows so am not really sure what the small 'reserved' partition does but I'm quite sure you will need the recovery partition (usually around 500MB) if you want to go back to factory settings so don't delete or format that partition. The other members posting here probably have a lot more experience and knowledge about windows.

[baskak]

Here it is, hope it helps solving the riddle somehow:Screenshot from 2024-05-15 11-33-54.png

[baskak]

I'd be happy to get a clear solution...