Can I remove Windows Vista from my notebook and only install Ubuntu?
It is clear from all of the above that you do not need windows to run Ubuntu.
If you are happy to run only Ubuntu here is what I would do.
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Back up any data/music/pictures you want either on a cd/pen drive/on the cloud
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Note any passwords for sites you use and store on a pen drive if possible
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Back up your emails and favourites from firefox/chrome etc
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Download latest version of Ubuntu from Ubuntu
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Test it works on your pc first if it is a newer version!
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Select install Ubuntu
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Select using Install using entire disk on the Allocate Drive Space page although yours will show windows and may be Ubuntu. Select the use entire disk
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Once installed run some updates in your terminal to get it up to date..(you can also follow my reinstall guide I did here to sort other stuff out here I have to reinstall/install ubuntu so have a guide to remember
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Stick your backed up data pictures and music back in and start enjoying your Ubuntu and forget about Windows :)
When I purchased my first laptop, the fist thing I did, even before booting in Windows was to put the Ubuntu CD in the drive, boot and reformat the hard disk. I never regretted this decision. I tested Ubuntu on that laptop in the store first, to make sure it was OK for the hardware compatibility, especially back in 2006. It was one of the best decisions I took.
Ubuntu is a lot more stable and safer. I fully switched to Ubuntu 3 years back and I have never missed windows once since then. If you are used to with Ubuntu and Vista is unstable on your netbook then you should remove vista and only install Ubuntu. Even if there is some Windows software that you want to or must use, you can easily install Windows in a Virtual Box and run that software from there. This way you wont event need to switch between OSes.
If you don't use Windows on it, go ahead. You will have much more room on your hard drive with it all being used by Ubuntu. Just run Ubuntu from a live cd/usb and select the install option. It will give you choices to get rid of Windows during the process. Your notebook will thank you. :)
Ofcourse you can do that. Ubuntu doesn't need Windows to be installed to work, it's a completely independent operating system. If you don't need Windows, then it doesn't need to be installed.
If the reason why the laptop sometimes powers off by itself is because of a hardware problem, then installing another operating system instead of Windows is ofcourse not going to solve this - you'd have to take your laptop to some place where they can fix the hardware problem.