Why can't I install Ubuntu or Wubi on a Windows Dynamic Disk?

Solution 1:

Note: Wubi is Ubuntu installed onto a Windows drive via the Windows installer

Neither Ubuntu nor Wubi will boot from a dynamic disk

Neither Ubuntu's bootloader GRUB nor Wubi's bootloader GRUB4DOS can recognize a Microsoft dynamic disk/volume/partition (SFS), and so they cannot boot from it; there is no sense in installing either when you won't be able to boot.

You have three options:

• Convert the dynamic disk to basic (backup all data first!), after which you can install Wubi or dual-boot with Ubuntu.
• Add another hard disk to your system, install Ubuntu on it and set your system to boot from it; you can choose to boot Windows or Ubuntu from the GRUB menu at startup
• Keep the disk as is, and run Ubuntu in a virtual machine, such as Virtualbox or VMWare Player.

Solution 2:

The best way to install Ubuntu is on a separate partition in dual boot with your Windows system. My experience over several installations: after a while nobody still uses Windows OS. The only extra to do: with Gparted make a ext4 partition on your PC, and install ubuntu on that partition. Thanks to grub you will be able to dual boot.