Dual Booting Linux and Windows XP

"I'd suggest the Wubi installer as jtimberman suggests... but let's address each of your questions.

Can you partition with an existing OS? Yes. and most modern Linux distros will do this for you during the install (Ubuntu's is very straight forward)

Backing up your hard drive? This should really be a separate question

Most user friendly Linux distro? Ubuntu really seems to have the edge here, but there have been leaps of progress in desktop Linux so you can do a little research at DistroWatch to see what fits you best. But I'd suggest Ubuntu. But it doesn't come with the standard MP3 and Flash stuff you'll be used to with windows.. a quick search will get you the VERY EASY solution to that.

Will my hardware work? Easiest way to find out without me making you list ALL of your important pieces with Manufacturer and Version is to just download the ISO for a liveCD (Just about all modern desktop Linux distros have one) and burn it to a disk. Make sure you're setup to boot from your CD/DVD drive and boot into it. This will give you a test run of the OS and show you what pieces of hardware you'll have problems with. If a piece doesn't seem to work don't fret! bring that piece to Google and SuperUser, you'll find your answer.

Have fun Linuxing!"

"How can I back up my entire hard drive?

As far as backing up your hard drive specifically - I would strongly recommend you look into an imaging solution. That way you can go back to exactly how things were befure you started tinkering in the even that something goes wrong. There are many free options. I am rather partial to the open source (linux based) Clonezilla. There is also driveimageXML and countless others. An image will capture you computer exactly as it is, and allow you to restore it to the point later. More info on that here and a walk through here"

"People keep giving me their old machines that XP much less Vista just doesn't work very well on anymore and I put either Linux Mint, my fav right now or ubuntu on it (them) as I now have 3 so called outdated machines and Linux runs beautifully on them. No software to buy. I found a discarded printer at a garage sale and plugged it in and it works just fine after cleaing it up a bit and adding new ink.

What's not to like. Linux is different to people that have had MS shoved down their throats for so long, but as was said it's not 1997 anymore and the distros just get better and better and amazingly they work with no fears and hassles like you have with MS."