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I have a dual boot Win 7 + Ubuntu 14.04LTS + Grub.

I mean to have a dual boot Win 10 + Ubuntu 18.04LTS (+ Grub, I guess), with my data in Ubuntu transferred.

For this, I guess the right steps are:

  1. Clean install 18.04 on top of the existing Ubuntu 14.04.
  2. Create a backup copy of Ubuntu 18.04 (partition backup - Clonezilla?).
  3. Install Win 10, on the whole disk.
  4. Install Ubuntu 18.04 with Grub, shrinking the Win 10 partition, not necessarily to the same size as before.
  5. Restore my Ubuntu backup.

Assuming I am successful in getting up to point 4, will my restored partition work right away? (without messing up Win 10 or boot)

Do I need to take specific precautions during backup/restore (backing up more than one partition, etc.) for the restore to work?

EDIT: I could Fresh install Win 10 + Fresh install Ub 18.04 + Recover data by simply copying from a regular backup, as suggested in an answer. That would be steps 3 and 4 above, plus copying. But I would likely need to do the upgrade 14.04 -> 18.04 prior to reinstalling Win, that is why I want to proceed as stated.

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  1. Backup your current system

    I would start with a backup of the current system. One method is to create a Clonezilla image in a separate drive (for example a USB HDD). Make an image of the whole drive (with Win 7 + Ubuntu 14.04 LTS + Grub).

    If you want to be sure, that a working system can be restored from the backup, please test it by restoring to a (new) drive of at least the same size as the original one.

  2. Install Windows 10

    • If you start by installing Windows first and then Ubuntu, you need not reinstall grub.
    • Shrink Windows from within Windows, but do not create any partition. Leave the available space as 'unallocated'.
  3. Boot a live session with Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS

    • Create a partition or partitions for Ubuntu with gparted.
    • Install Ubuntu (via the installer icon on the desktop).
    • Test that things work as you wish.
  4. Backup your new system

    Now it is time for a backup of the new system. One method is to create a Clonezilla image in a separate drive (for example a USB HDD). Make an image of the whole drive (with Win 10 + Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS + Grub).

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  • Detailed answer, thanks. I actually meant to know if the restore would work. Aug 17, 2018 at 22:06
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    @sancho.s, I have been using Clonezilla for several years now, most of the time as a backup of a whole drive, and I create a 'Clonezilla image'. Now I am confident, that I am doing things correctly, but in the beginning I tested, that I could restore from the image to a working drive (a cloned copy of the original drive). -- It is easiest to make a backup of the whole drive work after restoring, but also possible with a backup of a partition or partitions, if you provide the other parts of drive by other means (partition table, bootloader).
    – sudodus
    Aug 17, 2018 at 22:16
  • This is possibly relevant. If I were to restore an Ubuntu partition when Win 10 is already alive alongside my Ubuntu, would I need to do something more? You mention that I need to provide "the other parts of drive by other means (partition table, bootloader)." Could you give more details? This is exactly the aim of the OP! Aug 18, 2018 at 1:34
  • 1. No partition should be running, 'alive', when backing upwith Clonezilla. It is best to boot from a Clonezilla drive (USB pendrive or DVD disk); 2. A partition to be restored must be written to a partition with at least the same size as the original one, best is exactly the same size, location and partition number; You should also make sure that you have a matching partition table (and in case of GPT also a correct backup of the parttion table checked/created for example with gdisk). And the other partitions (if any) should also match those of the original drive.
    – sudodus
    Aug 18, 2018 at 6:04
  • This can be complicated, if/when you do it the first time. So it is recommended to make an image/clone of the whole drive. Then, afterwards, when 'the other parts of drive' are already there in a correct way, you can make an image/clone of a partition and restore it to the correct location.
    – sudodus
    Aug 18, 2018 at 6:07

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