Have Ubuntu pre-installed, want to install Windows instead

Ubuntu is great, but like you said it's not very user friendly to those that are not familiar with Linux based systems. From what I have gathered and looking at the hardware for a mini 9 computer, vista would not be your best choice. You may be able to get vista to install on that system, but due to the harddrive space and the limited memory you would have a very slooow running computer on your hands. Your best bet would be to load windows XP. Sorry to say, but the sales person was very inaccurate offering you an upgrade package for a non window based OS. IThe upgrade is looking for a windows based system, when you have a linux based system installed on your computer. You should take it back and get an exchange or refund.

If you install windows XP it will be very user friendly and run fairly well on the mini 9. Also you will be able to find the drivers for the mini 9 here on the dell site. The drivers are very critical and insure that you computer runs smoothly. Ubuntu is really an awesome system and is getting closer to the user friendliness of Windows, but still has a long way to go.

    So installing vista would not really be a positive change from your current linux based system, due to the limits of the mini 9. XP is your best choice to a user friendly based system.

Thanks.  That's what I figured.  The external drive we have borrowed is a CD-Rom drive.  Am I correct in that we need a DVD/CD combo drive to run the installation of Windows?

    You will need a full copy of Windows XP Home or Windows XP professional, not Windows Vista. You can still use the CD-Rom drive that you borrowed, because window XP comes on a CD-Rom media disk. Were as Vista comes on a DVD-Rom media disk.

     You could attempt to install Vista, but again I would not recommend it because it will take alot more time and headaches, (very similar to what you are experiencing with Ubuntu), to get it up and running properly. Plus again it will run extremely slow and may crash, because of the mini 9's hardware limitations.

     Good luck to you and post if you have any questions and here is a link for all the drivers you will need to install after you have installed Windows XP:

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&ServiceTag=&SystemID=INSPIRON910&os=WW1&osl=en&catid=&impid=

Ubuntu is actually MUCH more user-friendly than any version of Windows to date.  You need to give it some more time.  Then again, if you're stupid enough to have thought you could "upgrade" Windows without first having Windows, then I suppose you get what you deserve.

Wow, harsh aren't we hackel?  I said I wasn't too computer savvy and that's why I asked for help in the first place.  Knowing the ins and outs of computers is not my calling in life.  Thanks anyway.

Thanks, I appreciate your help.

NP, glad to help and i just ignore that type of statement.  Nothing productive.

Yes I would ignore smart remarks. I am still making plenty of mistakes in my life especially with my pc!Long may it be so!

Anyway ..is there any specific thing we can help with as regards what you currently have installed ie your ubuntu to make it less hassle for now until you have sorted the windows issue out?

What are the three biggest bug bears for you ? Then when we can see if we can sort them...maybe life will be a little less painful and you might start to enjoy your laptop. Cannot guarentee it but ubuntu in my experience is very good and largely sortable to be excellent

I think I finally have it figured out for now.  I have installed Windows and it is running fine.  Maybe I'll give Ubuntu another try in the future, but for now, we are happy.  Thanks for asking. 

How did you do this? Mine installs all files and reboots and start all over again. If I unplug after files install it says no operating system found. Arrrrggghhhh!!!!

Hey,

I seen your posting on the community website where you helped someone with their problems on a Dell Inspiron Mini 910, great work by the way, I have the same system only it has the 8 GB hard drive. I'm considering doing the same as that other person cause I heading to Oz in less than 3 weeks and my Nokia phones software is not compatible with linux, plus i'm finding that the flash player is terrible on it, its either stutttering or sound is out of sync with the video.

At the moment I've a reinstallation CD from a Dell tower PC.1. If I copied the entire CD to a protable hard drive, then 2. formated the entire laptop from the system setup, and 3. rebooted it to access the external harddrive first, would that work??

you could get or purchase an external cd/dvd drive and change your boot order in the bios. To get into the bios it is usually "F2". It should be set the USB device first on the boot up menu. Or another way is to conntect the USB cd/dvd drive to your computer and reboot. You can usually push "F12" during the initial boot up process to get to a boot up screen. Select USB device and see if that works. If the Disk that you have is fairly new, then it should be ok, the older recovery or reinstall dell disk may not have the proper drivers for a USB  device so be careful during installation. I know this may sound a little to easy and straight forward, but it not so cut and dry.

The hardest thing for me to tell you is that a basic windows XP installation with drivers and updates installed will come really close to your 8 GB capacity!!  =(  Then adding the programs you will need to help with your internet experience, like adobe, java, flash, quicktime, divx, codecs for various online browsing media will also demand hard drive space. Leaving you with no extra room to install the programs you need to work with your phone and others like office. You may want to try and  give up some of the installed programs and even stay with windows XP with service pack 2, but you will still be pushing close to 5 to 6 GB of used space after your installation is complete, again leaving you with very little HD space. Ubuntu runs extremely light and only needs about 2 gigs of HD space, that's why manufactures that offer computers with linux don't usually give you a big HD. You could try and upgrade your HD to a bigger one. That should be your first step. I have never personnally worked on a Mini 910 before so I'm not sure how difficult it would be to replace the HD. And of course this would void your warranty. =(  If you do decide to go with the bigger hard drive in order to install XP you can keep the original HD as a back up incase you cannot get your attempt of installing XP to work.