[ubuntu] Installation question.

Yes , if you install Ubuntu or other distribution on your disk the entire partition go to a new format and the present system is entirely deleted to clean all disk to new format and new install.

Some type of Virus , and malware in general can be extremely strong and resist to many methods to try to remove on a systems so this can be your case .

When you install a new system type in this case GNU/Linux Ubuntu you install a totally different system so for example if the format of partition of disk cant erase or delete some virus and if he continues on disk he cant do anything on new system because is totally diferent . But of course when you install a new system and format the disk the malware is totally deleted on disk and if you need you can install or reinstall windows 8 also without problems, many users suggest on the maintenace of systems and when need a format and new install do it with a step like use an Linux to format the disk to a type of Linx and then continues to a windows boot and reformat and install this.

So , in one word you can install Ubuntu easily, without any problem to your malware for windows and of course you can forget problems with malware in general for GNU/Linux because malware for this type of system is more problematic to maintain so your existence is less than in windows (.exe, bugs on private copyright code etc).