Like Ubuntu and Linux Mint, the installation of Zorin OS is very simple and allows you to set up the distribution in virtual machines via VirtualBox.
If you create a bootable USB stick, even a direct USB installation is possible.
Immediately after installation, the distribution will present the Zorin OS functionality to its users.
In this post we will discuss how to replace your existing Zorin distribution.
Zorin OS already offers open source software pre-installed in the free version, compatibility with Windows programs, easy installation and a high-quality design.
- Overwrite your current copy of Zorin OS with a new clean installation.
- What you need.
- Download your new Zorin OS .iso file
- Having issues with this step?
- Back up your data.
- Create a bootable USB Install Drive .
- Plug the USB flash drive into your computer.
- Boot from the USB Install Drive
- Welcome menu.
- Having issues with this step?
- Prepare the drive partition.
- Install your new copy of Zorin OS.
- Restore your data to the new installation of Zorin OS.
Overwrite your current copy of Zorin OS with a new clean installation.
What you need.
A computer capable of running the version of Zorin OS you’ll be installing. View System Requirements.
A USB flash drive with enough capacity for your Zorin OS edition:
Core and Lite: 4 GB
Pro/Pro Lite and Education/Education Lite: 8 GB
An external drive or cloud storage for backup.
Download your new Zorin OS .iso file
If you haven’t already downloaded your new copy of Zorin OS, you will need to get it from our website to proceed.
Having issues with this step?
Please keep the downloaded .iso file on your computer when following the next steps.
Back up your data.
Please back up the important files on your computer to an external drive or cloud storage service. After installing your new copy of Zorin OS, you will be able to restore this data to your new installation.
Create a bootable USB Install Drive .
You will need to write the Zorin OS .iso file to your USB flash drive using an app called balenaEtcher. The computer that you use to do this can be different from the computer you plan to install Zorin OS onto.
Warning.
All contents on the USB flash drive will be erased. We recommend that you use an empty USB flash drive or back up the contents of your USB flash drive now.
Plug the USB flash drive into your computer.
Double-click on the balenaEtcher download file to run the app.
On Linux. If the balenaEtcher app doesn’t open after double-clicking on it, you may need to mark its downloaded “.AppImage” file as executable. To do so, right-click on the file in the file browser and open its Properties. Navigate to the Permissions section to enable the “Allow executing file as program” option.
Press “Flash from file” to select the downloaded Zorin OS .iso file on your computer. The file should be in your “Downloads” folder.
Press “Select target” and choose the correct USB flash drive in the list. balenaEtcher USB flash drive list.
Press “Flash!” to begin writing Zorin OS to the USB flash drive. balenaEtcher press Flash!
After a few minutes, the USB flash drive will be ready for booting into Zorin OS.
Having issues with this step?
Instead of using balenaEtcher, try writing the Zorin OS .iso file to a USB flash drive with one of these alternatives:
Boot from the USB Install Drive
To install your new copy of Zorin OS, you must boot your computer from the USB Install Drive.
Switch off the computer you want to install Zorin OS onto. Make sure it’s completely powered off, and not in sleep or hibernate mode.
Plug the Zorin OS USB Install Drive into the computer.
Switch on the computer. Immediately at start-up, repeatedly press the designated key to open the Boot Device Menu.
On a PC. This key should be indicated on the screen at start-up or in your computer’s manual. If you’re unsure which key to press, it is usually either Esc, Delete, F2, F12, or another function key.
On a Mac. Press and hold the ⌥ Option key at start-up. If you’re using a wireless keyboard, you may need to plug in a USB keyboard instead to be able to select the boot device.
At the Boot Device Menu, use the arrow keys to highlight the option which mentions “USB”, “EFI”, or the flash drive manufacturer’s name. Press Enter to boot from the Install Drive.
On a Mac. Sometimes the Install Drive might be incorrectly identified as “Windows”, which is normal.
Select the “Try or Install Zorin OS” option in the Zorin OS boot selection menu using the Enter key.
If your computer has a modern NVIDIA graphics card (produced after 2013). You can select the “Try or Install Zorin OS (modern NVIDIA drivers)” option using the ↓ ↑ keys. Press Enter to boot and install with the official NVIDIA proprietary graphics drivers.
Welcome menu.
While booting, Zorin OS will check the USB Install Drive to ensure there aren’t any defects. We recommend that you do not skip this check the first time you use the USB Install Drive. It helps prevent issues while installing Zorin OS to your computer.
Having issues with this step?
View what to do if you're unable to boot from the Zorin OS USB Install Drive ›
Prepare the drive partition.
If you have multiple operating systems installed on your computer’s drive (dual boot), you must free the space which is currently reserved for your current installation of Zorin OS.
Only have Zorin OS installed?
Skip to the installation stage ›
Click the “Try Zorin OS” option to use the full Zorin OS desktop. Installer
After reaching the Zorin OS desktop, open the Zorin Menu → System Tools → GParted.
Your current installation of Zorin OS should be present on a partition with an “ext4” File System. Right-click on it and select “Delete”.
Press the button at the top of the GParted window to apply these changes.
After the changes have been applied, close the GParted app.
Install your new copy of Zorin OS.
Complete the installation of your new copy of Zorin OS to your computer.
Double click on the “Install Zorin OS” icon on the desktop.
Follow the on-screen instructions to start the installation.
When prompted by the installer, please connect to the Internet (if possible). This makes sure all necessary software gets downloaded during the installation process.
You should reach a step titled “Installation type”.
If you have another operating system installed on your computer (dual boot). Select the “Install Zorin OS alongside [your other operating system]” option and press “Continue”. This will use the newly-created free space on the drive for your new installation of Zorin OS.
If you have only Zorin OS installed on your computer. Select the “Erase disk and install Zorin OS” option and press “Install Now”. Use this option to enable advanced features like disk encryption and LVM.
Continue following the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
After the installation completes, restart the computer to boot into your installed copy of Zorin OS.
Restore your data to the new installation of Zorin OS.
You may now restore the data from your previous installation of Zorin OS by either:
transferring the files you saved to an external drive or cloud storage service onto your new installation.
restoring a backup using the Backups app.
That’s it! We hope you’ll enjoy using your new copy of Zorin OS.
Another highlight of Zorin OS is the ability to seamlessly integrate your Android smartphones with your desktop using the Zorin Connect app. With your phone connected, you can share music, videos, and other files between your phone and your desktop. You can even use your phone as a mouse to control the desktop. You can also easily control media playback on your desktop from your own phone. Quickly respond to all your messages and notifications sent to your phone from your desktop.
ReplyDeleteSome other important things to remember is, use Firefox only to download the ISO as it is clearly mentioned there.
DeleteAnother way to eliminate most of the installation errors is by burning the disk at the lowest rate possible. This method works efficiently with most devices and helps you overcome most of the errors that occur during the installation time.
The reason behind this is simple: when you burn a disc at high speed, you are expected to encounter a lot of read/write errors. This will eventually lead you to faulty installations. So a slow burn will prevent you from getting such unusual errors and you can enjoy a fast installation.
Otherwise, if you want to install the OS from an external USB and if you encounter any kind of error, I would recommend that you create a live USB using Unetbootin on your Windows desktop. This could cause the end of all these types of errors.