Windows 10 support ended in October 2025. If you’ve decided to make the switch to Zorin OS, this guide walks you through the entire migration — from backing up your files to getting your new desktop running exactly the way you want it.
The whole process takes about an hour. You don’t need any technical experience.
Before You Start: What You’ll Need
- A USB flash drive (at least 8 GB)
- An external hard drive or large USB drive for backups (recommended)
- Your Windows 10 PC
- About an hour of time
Step 1 — Back Up Everything
This is the most important step. Once you install Zorin OS, your Windows installation will be gone (unless you choose to dual-boot — more on that below).
What to Back Up
Go through each of these locations and copy them to an external drive:
Documents, Pictures, Videos, Downloads
- Open File Explorer (Windows key + E)
- Click This PC → open your main drive (usually C:)
- Open the Users folder → your username
- Copy Documents, Pictures, Videos, Downloads, Desktop to your external drive
Browser bookmarks
- Chrome: Menu → Bookmarks → Bookmark Manager → ⋮ → Export bookmarks (saves an HTML file)
- Firefox: Menu → Bookmarks → Manage Bookmarks → Import and Backup → Export Bookmarks to HTML
- Edge: Settings → Favorites → ⋮ → Export favorites
- If you use Gmail, Outlook.com, or any web-based email: nothing to back up — it’s already in the cloud
- If you use Outlook desktop with a local PST file: copy the PST file to your backup drive
- Find it at:
C:\Users\[YourName]\Documents\Outlook Files\
- Find it at:
Passwords
- Use your browser’s password export feature, or note down any passwords stored only in Windows
Other files to check:
- Any files saved to the desktop
- Downloads folder (often forgotten)
- Files saved directly to C:\ (the root of the drive)
A Quick Backup Checklist
- Documents folder
- Pictures folder
- Videos folder
- Downloads folder
- Desktop files
- Browser bookmarks exported
- Email PST file (if applicable)
- Any other folders you use regularly
Don’t proceed until this is done. The backup is your safety net.
Step 2 — Download Zorin OS
- Go to zorin.com/os on your Windows PC
- Choose Zorin OS Core (free) — this is the standard version for most users
- If your PC is older (pre-2013, less than 4 GB RAM), download Zorin OS Lite instead
- The download is about 3–4 GB and will take 5–20 minutes depending on your internet speed
Not sure which edition to get? Check the system requirements guide to confirm your PC qualifies.
Step 3 — Create a Bootable USB
You need to write the Zorin OS image to a USB drive in a specific way — you can’t just copy the file.
- Download Balena Etcher from balena.io/etcher (free, Windows)
- Plug in your USB drive
- Open Etcher
- Click Flash from file → select the Zorin OS
.isofile you downloaded - Click Select target → choose your USB drive (double-check it’s the right one)
- Click Flash! and wait about 5 minutes
Your USB is now a bootable Zorin OS installer. Warning: Everything on the USB drive will be erased. Use a blank drive or one you don’t need.
Step 4 — Boot from the USB Drive
- Plug the USB drive into your PC
- Restart the PC
- As it starts up, press the boot menu key — this is usually F12, F11, F10, Esc, or Del, depending on your PC brand:
- Dell: F12
- HP: F9 or Esc
- Lenovo: F12 or F11
- ASUS: Esc or F8
- Acer: F12
- Select your USB drive from the boot menu
- The Zorin OS live environment will load (takes 1–2 minutes)
If your PC skips directly to Windows instead of showing a boot menu, you may need to adjust the boot order in BIOS. Search for “[your PC brand] change boot order” for model-specific instructions.
Step 5 — Try Before You Install (Optional but Recommended)
When Zorin OS loads, you’ll see a welcome screen with two options: Try Zorin OS and Install Zorin OS.
Click Try Zorin OS first.
This lets you use Zorin OS live from the USB — no installation, no changes to your PC. Use it for 10–15 minutes to check:
- Does your Wi-Fi connect?
- Does your display look correct?
- Does your trackpad/mouse work?
- Can you play a YouTube video (audio test)?
If everything works: you’re ready to install. If something doesn’t work in live mode, it won’t work after installing either — and you should look for that specific issue before proceeding.
Step 6 — Install Zorin OS
When you’re ready to install, either click Install Zorin OS on the desktop or launch it from the applications menu.
The installer is graphical and walks you through each step:
Installation Type
You’ll be asked how you want to install:
- Erase disk and install Zorin OS — replaces Windows entirely (recommended for most users)
- Install alongside Windows — dual-boot, keeps both (useful if you want a fallback)
- Something else — manual partition control (advanced users only)
For most users switching away from Windows 10, choose Erase disk and install Zorin OS. This gives you the cleanest setup.
The Rest of the Installer
- Location — select your timezone
- Keyboard layout — select your language/keyboard
- User account — enter your name, a computer name, and a password
- The installer copies files to your drive (10–20 minutes)
- When prompted, remove the USB drive and press Enter to reboot
Step 7 — First Boot and Setup
When Zorin OS starts for the first time:
- Log in with the password you set
- Connect to Wi-Fi (click the network icon in the top-right corner)
- Run system updates: click the Software Updater when it appears, or open the terminal and run
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade - Restore your files: plug in your backup drive and copy your folders back
Step 8 — Restore Your Files and Apps
Restore Files
Plug in your external backup drive. Open the Files app. Copy your folders back to your home directory:
- Documents →
/home/[yourname]/Documents - Pictures →
/home/[yourname]/Pictures - Videos →
/home/[yourname]/Videos
Import Browser Bookmarks
- Firefox is pre-installed. Open it, go to Bookmarks → Manage Bookmarks → Import and Backup → Import Bookmarks from HTML
- Chrome and Brave are available in the Software Center if you prefer them
Install Your Apps
Zorin OS comes with LibreOffice (Word/Excel/PowerPoint compatible), Firefox, and a music player pre-installed. For anything else:
- Open the Software app (in the taskbar)
- Search for what you need — VLC, GIMP, Spotify, VS Code, and thousands of others are available
- Click Install
Dual-Boot: Keeping Windows as a Fallback
If you’re not ready to fully commit, you can install Zorin OS alongside Windows 10 and choose which to boot at startup.
In the installer, choose Install alongside Windows instead of erasing the disk. The installer will resize your Windows partition and create a new one for Zorin OS.
On each startup, you’ll see a menu (GRUB) where you can choose Zorin OS or Windows 10.
Note: Dual-boot adds complexity. If you run into issues, the Zorin OS forum at forum.zorin.com is active and helpful.
What Stays the Same, What Changes
| Task | On Windows 10 | On Zorin OS |
|---|---|---|
| Browse the web | Chrome/Edge/Firefox | Firefox (pre-installed), Chrome available |
| Create documents | Microsoft Word | LibreOffice Writer (reads .docx files) |
| Spreadsheets | Excel | LibreOffice Calc (reads .xlsx files) |
| Outlook | Thunderbird, or use Gmail/Outlook in browser | |
| Video calls | Zoom, Teams | Both have Linux versions available |
| Photos | Photos app | Shotwell (pre-installed) |
| Video | Windows Media Player | Videos app (VLC available) |
| Gaming | Steam | Steam (Linux version, most games work) |
The biggest adjustment is the app ecosystem — not everything has a Linux version, and some Windows-only software has no direct equivalent. But for the vast majority of everyday tasks, Zorin OS covers it.
You’re Done
That’s the full migration. Your files are safe, your bookmarks are back, and you’re running a secure, modern operating system that will receive updates for years.
If you want to get comfortable with the interface, our guide to the Zorin OS interface covers everything from the app menu to the file manager. And once you’re settled in, customizing Zorin OS for productivity shows you how to tune the desktop exactly to your workflow.