Is installing a different distro over ubuntu on a dualboot system possible? Or deleting partition necessarily?

Question

I run a dualboot with ubuntu 14.04 and windows 8.1. I messed up the ubuntu and now I'm going to install elementary OS instead of ubuntu. I wounder how I should do it in the easiest way possible without mess upp something. Should I first just delete the partition where I have ubuntu on and then create a new partition in windows and on that new partition install elementary OS?

Or can I install elementary distro over the current ubuntu distro and that partition with ubuntu will be overwritten with the installation of elementary OS? So the partition will be like a clean partition with just elementary on it instead of ubuntu? I mean this would be possible if I were to reinstall ubuntu right? So is it possible when I choose to install another distro?

If I had to remove the partition at first will that give some problem to start windows then? I mean I know have a "bootmeny" in grub where I can choose either windows or ubuntu from. But windows have it's own so that problem shouldn't occour?

Answer 1

This is not really an Ubuntu question, but an Elementary OS question, but Elementary comes with its own version of grub, so I would:

1. Take a full system backup using CloneZilla
2. Take another backup with your current backup
3. Boot Elementary OS, delete the Ubuntu system partition
4. Recreate a new partition with the same settings as the Ubuntu partition
5. be sorry to let go Ubuntu. ;-)