Switch from Windows to Linux Mint (LMDE): Complete Guide

This guide is written for people who have been using Windows their whole life and want to try Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) for the first time. LMDE looks and feels similar to Windows, making it one of the best Linux distributions for beginners.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through every single step—from downloading the ISO file to booting into your new Linux desktop for the first time. It also covers how to set up hibernation properly so your computer saves its state to disk, just like Windows does.

🐧 What is LMDE?

LMDE stands for Linux Mint Debian Edition. It is a free operating system built on top of Debian Linux. Unlike the regular Linux Mint which is based on Ubuntu, LMDE is built directly on Debian, making it more stable and longer-lasting.

It uses the Cinnamon desktop environment, which looks very similar to Windows with a taskbar at the bottom, a start menu, and a file manager.

LMDE is a fantastic choice if you want to leave Windows behind but do not want to learn a completely new way of using a computer. Most things work the same way:

Desktop icons
Web browser
File manager
Settings menus

The biggest difference? It’s free, has no ads, and does not spy on you.

💤 What is Hibernation and Why Should You Set It Up?

Hibernation is a power-saving feature. When you hibernate your computer, it saves everything in your RAM (open programs, browser tabs, documents) to your hard disk and then completely shuts down. When you press the power button again, it restores everything exactly as you left it.

This is different from Sleep (or Suspend), which keeps the RAM powered on. Hibernation uses zero power, so you can leave your computer for days and come back to exactly where you were.

Windows has hibernation built-in, and it works out of the box. On LMDE, hibernation works, but you need to set it up yourself. This guide shows you exactly how to do that during installation so you do not have to fix it later.

📋 What You Will Need Before Starting

A USB flash drive with at least 4 GB of storage.

Warning: Make sure there is nothing important on the USB drive because it will be completely wiped during this process.
A working Windows computer to download the LMDE ISO file and create the bootable USB drive.
An internet connection.
The computer where you want to install LMDE. It should meet the following minimum requirements:
- At least 2 GB of RAM
- At least 20 GB of free disk space
- A 64-bit processor (Most computers made after 2010 meet these requirements)

Tip: 📝 Write down how much RAM your computer has before you start. You can find this in Windows by right-clicking on My Computer or This PC and clicking Properties. The RAM size is shown there. You will need this number when creating your swap partition for hibernation.

📥 Step 1: Download the LMDE ISO File

Open your web browser in Windows and go to the official Linux Mint website at linuxmint.com.
Click on the Download button in the top menu.
Look for the tab or section that says LMDE. (At the time of writing, the latest version is LMDE 6 “Faye”).
Click on it to view the download mirrors. These are servers around the world that host the same file.
Pick a mirror closest to your country for faster download speeds.
Save the file. It will be named something like lmde-6-cinnamon-64bit.iso and is about 2 GB in size.
Wait for the download to finish completely before moving to the next step.

🛡️ Step 2: Verify the ISO File (Optional but Recommended)

After downloading, it’s a good idea to check that the file was not corrupted during the download. On the download page, there is a link to verify the integrity of your download which provides a file called sha256sum.txt.

Open PowerShell in Windows by pressing the Windows key, typing PowerShell, and pressing Enter.
Type the following command, replacing the filename path with your actual downloaded file path:

Get-FileHash C:\Users\YourName\Downloads\lmde-6-cinnamon-64bit.iso -Algorithm SHA256

Compare the output hash with the hash listed on the Linux Mint website.
- If they match, your download is good!
- If they do not match, you must download the file again.

🛠️ Step 3: Create a Bootable USB Drive Using Rufus

To install LMDE, you need to put the ISO file onto a USB drive in a special way that makes the computer boot from it. You cannot just copy the ISO file to the USB drive. You need a tool called Rufus.

Go to rufus.ie and download the latest version of Rufus. (It is a single, small executable file and does not require installation).
Plug your USB flash drive into your computer.
Double-click the downloaded Rufus file to open it.
The Device dropdown at the top should automatically show your USB drive. Make sure it shows the correct USB drive and not one of your hard drives.
Click the SELECT button next to the Boot selection field. Navigate to where you saved the LMDE .iso file and select it.
Rufus will automatically configure the correct settings:
- The Partition scheme should be set to GPT for modern computers (made after 2012).
- If your computer is very old, use MBR instead. (If you are unsure, stick to GPT).
Click the START button. A warning will appear saying all data on the USB drive will be destroyed. Click OK to confirm.
Wait for Rufus to finish writing the ISO to the USB drive (this takes about 5-10 minutes). When it says READY at the bottom with a green bar, your bootable USB is ready.

⚙️ Step 4: Change BIOS Settings Before Installing

Before booting from the USB drive, you need to change some settings in your computer’s BIOS or UEFI firmware. This software runs right when the computer starts up, before the operating system loads.

How to Enter BIOS

Restart your computer.
As soon as the screen goes black and the computer starts rebooting, press the BIOS key repeatedly.
- Dell: F2 or F12
- HP: F10 or Esc
- Lenovo: F1 or F2
- ASUS / Acer: F2 or Delete
- MSI: Delete
You need to be quick! The window to press the key is only about two seconds. (If you miss it, just restart and try again).
Use your keyboard arrow keys to navigate the BIOS menus, as the mouse usually does not work here.

What to Change in BIOS

Disable Secure Boot: Secure Boot is a Windows feature that blocks unauthorized software from loading. It blocks Linux hibernation and can cause driver issues. Find it under the Security or Boot tab and set it to Disabled.

Important: If you skip this step, hibernation will not work!
UEFI Mode: If your computer was made after 2012, ensure Boot Mode is set to UEFI. Only switch to Legacy or CSM mode if your computer is very old.
Boot Order (Priority): Set the USB drive as the first boot device. Find the Boot Order setting and move USB or Removable Devices to the top of the list. (Some computers have a separate “Boot Override” menu where you can just select the USB drive directly).
Disable Fast Boot: In BIOS, Fast Boot skips some hardware initialization. Disable it so it doesn’t skip reading your USB drive.
Save and Exit: Find the option to Save and Exit (usually F10), press it, and confirm. Your computer will restart with the new settings.

🚀 Step 5: Boot from the USB Drive

After restarting with your USB drive plugged in, you will see a boot menu.
Select Start Linux Mint or Start LMDE and press Enter.
You will be taken to a “live desktop”. This is the full LMDE Cinnamon desktop running directly from your USB drive! Nothing is installed on your hard drive yet.
Take a moment to explore. When you are ready to install, double-click the Install Linux Mint icon on the desktop.

💻 Step 6: Begin the Installation

Double-click the Install Linux Mint icon to open the installer.
Choose your language and click Continue.
Select the correct keyboard layout and click Continue.
Check the box to Install third-party software for graphics and Wi-Fi hardware and additional media formats. This ensures video and audio work properly after installation. Click Continue.

🗄️ Step 7: Choose Installation Type and Create Partitions

This is the most critical step for getting hibernation working properly. The installer will ask about the “Installation type”.

If you want to dual-boot, you would choose “Install LMDE alongside Windows”. If you want to replace Windows entirely, you could choose “Erase disk”.

However, to set up hibernation correctly, we need manual partitioning. Select Something else and click Continue.

Understanding Partitions

Think of your hard drive like a big warehouse, and partitions as rooms dividing the warehouse. For LMDE with hibernation, we need three “rooms”:

EFI Partition: For UEFI boot.
Root Partition (/): Where LMDE is installed.
Swap Partition: A special space used to store your RAM contents when the computer hibernates.

1. Creating the EFI Partition

In the partition table screen, click New Partition Table and confirm (if installing on a fresh drive or replacing Windows entirely).
Click on the free space entry, then click the + button.
Size: 512 MB
Type: Primary
Location: Beginning of this space
Use as: EFI System Partition
Click OK.

2. Creating the Swap Partition

The swap partition must be at least as large as your RAM. For best results, make it 1.5 times your RAM size. (e.g., For 8 GB RAM, create 12 GB swap. For 16 GB RAM, create 24 GB swap).

Click on the remaining free space, then click the + button.
Size: Type your chosen swap size in megabytes (e.g., 12288 for 12GB, 16384 for 16GB, 24576 for 24GB).
Type: Primary
Location: Beginning of this space
Use as: swap area
Click OK.

Important: Remember the partition name shown for this swap partition (e.g., /dev/sda2 or /dev/nvme0n1p2). Write it down! You will need it later when configuring GRUB.

3. Creating the Root Partition

Click on the remaining free space, then click the + button.
Size: Leave it as is to use all remaining space.
Type: Primary
Location: Beginning of this space
Use as: Ext4 journaling file system
Mount point: /
Click OK.

Review your layout: You should see the 512 MB EFI partition, your Swap partition, and one large Root (/) partition. Ensure the correct drive is selected for the bootloader at the bottom, then click Install Now. Click Continue to confirm the disk changes.

🎉 Step 8: Complete the Installation

Select your timezone by clicking on the map or typing your city, then click Continue.
Fill in your name, computer name, username, and a strong password. (Leave home folder encryption unchecked for simplicity if you are new). Click Continue.
The installation will begin copying files (about 10-20 minutes).
Once complete, click Restart Now. When prompted, remove the USB drive and press Enter.

🌟 Step 9: First Boot into LMDE

After rebooting, you will see the GRUB bootloader screen. Select LMDE and press Enter.

On the Welcome Screen:

Click on Driver Manager and install any recommended drivers (especially graphics and Wi-Fi).
Click on Update Manager and install all available updates. Restart if prompted.

⚙️ Step 10: Configure GRUB for Hibernation

You must tell the system exactly where your swap partition is so it knows where to write the RAM contents when hibernating.

Find Your Swap Partition UUID

Open a terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T (or finding it in the Menu).
Type the following command and press Enter:

cat /etc/fstab | grep swap

You will see a line resembling this: UUID=2f59a476-3912-434c-8362-fa7c1b797a70 none swap sw 0 0
Copy the long string of numbers and letters after UUID= (e.g., 2f59a476-3912-434c-8362-fa7c1b797a70). Do not copy the word UUID= itself.

Tip: You can run swapon --show to verify the partition name (like /dev/sda2) is actively being used as swap.

Edit the GRUB Configuration File

Type the following command in the terminal:

sudo xed /etc/default/grub

Enter your password. The text editor will open.
Find the line that looks like this: GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
Add the resume parameter with your copied UUID inside the quotes: GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash resume=UUID=your-copied-uuid-here"
Save the file (Ctrl + S) and close the text editor.

Warning: Make sure there is a space between splash and resume. A single wrong character in the UUID will break hibernation!

Update GRUB and Initramfs

Apply the changes by running these two commands sequentially in your terminal:

sudo update-grub
sudo update-initramfs -u

Once finished, reboot your computer:

sudo reboot

🧪 Step 11: Test Hibernation

Open some programs or browser windows.
Open a terminal and run:

sudo systemctl hibernate

Your screen will go black, and the computer will completely shut down (all power indicators will turn off).

Press the power button to turn it back on.
Select LMDE in GRUB. You should see a message like “Resuming from /dev/sda2”, and you will be brought back exactly to where you left off!

By default, the Hibernate option may not appear in the shutdown menu. Let’s add it.

Create a new directory and policy file:

sudo mkdir -p /etc/polkit-1/localauthority/50-local.d
sudo xed /etc/polkit-1/localauthority/50-local.d/com.ubuntu.enable-hibernate.pkla

Paste the following exact text into the file:

[Re-enable hibernate by default in upower]
Identity=unix-user:*
Action=org.freedesktop.upower.hibernate
ResultActive=yes

[Re-enable hibernate by default in logind]
Identity=unix-user:*
Action=org.freedesktop.login1.hibernate;org.freedesktop.login1.hibernate-multiple-sessions
ResultActive=yes

Save, close the file, and log out/log back in. Hibernate will now appear in your power menu.

⏱️ Step 13: Set Up Hibernate After Suspend (Optional)

You can set LMDE to sleep (suspend) first, and then automatically hibernate after a set time to save power.

Edit the sleep config:

sudo xed /etc/systemd/sleep.conf

Add or modify these lines (value is in seconds, e.g., 3600 = 1 hour):

[Sleep]
AllowHibernation=yes
HibernateDelaySec=3600

Save the file and restart. You can also configure this via Menu -> System Settings -> Power Management -> Extra Options -> Enable Hibernate after suspend.

🚑 Troubleshooting Common Hibernation Problems

Computer Freezes: The resume parameter in GRUB is missing or incorrect. Run sudo cat /etc/default/grub to check the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT line carefully, and ensure you ran sudo update-grub.
Computer Boots Normally (Does not Resume): Check the UUID in /etc/default/grub against the UUID in /etc/fstab. They must match exactly.
Permission Error: Ensure you correctly created the polkit policy file from Step 12.
Secure Boot Error: Go back to your BIOS and make absolutely sure Secure Boot is disabled (Step 4).
Swap Size is Too Small: If you are using more RAM than your swap size allows, hibernation will fail.

🔄 Basic Differences Between Windows and LMDE

Taskbar and Menu: The taskbar is at the bottom. The “Menu” button on the left acts just like the Windows Start button.
Software Manager: Instead of searching the web for .exe files, use the Software Manager (like an App Store) to install programs safely with one click.
No Antivirus Needed: Linux systems are inherently much more secure and far less targeted by malware.
No Drive Letters: Linux uses a single root folder / instead of C: or D:. Your personal files live in /home/yourusername/.
Friendly Updates: LMDE updates via the Update Manager. It rarely forces you to restart, and you control exactly when updates happen. No more forced midnight restarts!

🏁 Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed LMDE and configured it to hibernate perfectly, just like Windows. By configuring a swap partition, applying your UUID to GRUB, and updating your initramfs, your system is now capable of saving its exact state to your hard drive safely.

LMDE is incredibly stable, reliable, and user-friendly. Once you are used to the workflow, you will enjoy a fast, ad-free, and private computing experience. Welcome to Linux!