Try another operating system without risk!

Run Linux using 1 USB memory drive!

Forget CD / DVD 💿 unless really old like 20 years - USB is more accessible and reliable... speed difference is minor...

Test without any hard drive - Optionally install after testing along side your Windows (or just reset back into your existing operating system).

Just 1 USB drive setup correctly allows you to test drive almost any Linux system like Ubuntu or Mint simply by downloading the ISO for it.

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How to try Linux? (an alternative to Windows)

Main steps

1- Download YUMI 2.0.9.4 currently
2- Use YUMI to format USB drive
3- Download Linux Ubuntu or Linux Mint ISO (a 2/3gb file)
4- Ue YUMI to add that Linux ISO to USB (YUMI allows as many Linux or Windows versions added by copying to USB)
5- re-Boot (start from USB drive) and your Linux version shows in list of boot items - run any listed.
6- You're now testing the new system - That's it!

No disk install, but shortcut icon from the desktop allows install if you want it and have hard drive installed.

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NOTES:
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ISO's (1 file for the operating system) for Ubuntu or Mint includes already a strong disk manager, partitioner and disk fixer called GParted (GNOME Partition Editor) so you don't have to download anything separate if you decide to install to existing disk, yuo can manage it there.

GNOME Partition Editor is for creating, reorganizing, and deleting disk partitions. seen here as a separate download here
https://sourceforge.net/projects/gparted/ - so as it's included in the ISO it is very hand to re-organise disks.

Even if you don't want to use Linux you can have a USB set of strong disk tools from 1 USB.