Since I've never seen it posted here, I thought I'd mention it... Likewise, every time someone asks about installing Linux, people suggest burning an Ubuntu Live CD...

If you want a "dual-boot" of your Windows OS and Ubuntu Linux on your machine without ever having to reformat/partition your hard drive, just install:

Wubi

Wubi installs just like any other Windows app (with an easy-to-follow Wizard). It takes a user-allocated amount of space on your drive and uses it as a psuedo-partition. It also creates a boot option so that when you start your computer, you can choose Windows or Linux.

The best part is that it doesn't actually do anything to your hard drive. If you screw it up, you can just uninstall it via the Windows Add/Remove Programs Control Panel and then reinstall.

And, Wubi is a fully-functioning version of Ubuntu Linux too -- all Repositories work, etc.

So, forget the Live CD. Just install Wubi!

Tim