Windows installer for Ubuntu 14.04 LTS onwards

The WUBI installer is on the 14.04 ISO and works with windows up to 7. Windows 8 and Windows ME are not supported by WUBI. The only ISO that does not have WUBI is the 13.04 version (and that is end of life already)

Take note of the accepted upvote on the 1st link from a developer of WUBI. Copied parts from META:

... It has shipped on the CD and is still shipped. Primary function is to be a "cd autolauncher" for people who pop the cd into a Windows machine, at that time it says "You need to reboot, to try ubuntu! [reboot now]" or some such.

If one copies the wubi.exe off the cd, it will launch and offer Wubi based installation.

If one downloads wubi.exe off official release mirrors or releases.ubuntu.com, it also works.

It works O.K. for all defined flavours i386/amd64 builds in BIOS mode.

There is no confirmation if it works with UEFI, UEFI Windows 8, UEFI Windows 8 + SecureBoot. The last one believed to be the typical configurations of new computers that do not come with ubuntu pre-installed.

Since it's no longer an optimal solution for the default new installs, it has been de-emphasised on the ubuntu.com/download website.

Officially it is still supported - precise has 3 more years of support, and wubi has not yet been removed from any isos and is present to download for all releases and is present on all released .isos. (12.10, 13.04, 13.10 and 12.04.x point releases)

Mind the operating system noted not including 14.04 because this was posted before the release of 14.04. Support for WUBI has NOT dropped; it is no longer the preferred method though since Windows 8 does not play nice but if you have Windows 7 or older (excluding Windows ME) all you need to do is copy the installer from the ISO and it will install.


The reason there is no Wubi Available since 13.04 is because of the following points:

  • Multiple bugs related to installations that were done with Wubi
  • Wubi has not been updated to support Windows 8
  • Users that have installed Ubuntu through Wubi have experience more bugs and performance issues compared to users that have install Ubuntu using the LiveCD / LiveUSB
  • Development has focused to Mobile (Ubuntu Phone), Server (Juju) and other areas.
  • The creation and usage of Wubi was done to help new users install Ubuntu in an easy manner but has become troublesome to maintain, debug and update. It has been highly recommended for new users to stick with the LiveCD / LiveUSB methods and avoid Wubi.
  • It is safer (Performance wise) to install Ubuntu through the Live methods than through Wubi
  • It actually gives a bad reputation to the real performance of Ubuntu if it is installed through Wubi instead of the Live method since the new user will think that the performance he/she feels is how Ubuntu performs.

For more information regarding Wubi and future Ubuntu versions please feel free to read the following links:

Meta - http://meta.askubuntu.com/questions/6504/how-do-we-handle-wubi-questions-for-13-04-and-later/

Ubuntu Mailing List - Regarding Dropping Wubi

Wubi Famous Bugs - No Account Creation

Wubi Famous Bugs - Detection Problems

List of Wubi Bugs (300+ Bugs) - https://bugs.launchpad.net/wubi/+bugs

Some problems related to installing Ubuntu on a Windows 8 PC through Wubi - Installing Ubuntu Alongside a Pre-Installed Windows with UEFI

Performance between LiveCD / LiveUSB and Wubi -

  • What's the difference between Wubi and a regular "alongside Windows" installation?

  • What performance differences are there when installing with Wubi?

  • http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=ubuntu_wubi_1010&num=1

So with all of this in mind, the recommended way of installing Ubuntu 13.04+ and saving the user from many problems associated with the installation of Ubuntu through Wubi is to actually use the LiveCD / LiveDVD / LiveUSB images. They will give the user an overall better performance, less issues than Wubi and will save the user from headaches.


the problem is for some reason it has trouble running from the mounted iso. copy the wubi.exe to anywhere on your C drive ( or another hd) then try to run it

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