A different issue not related to Joe's query, so a separate posting.

I have just discovered THIS (Portable Ubuntu).
It is a version of Ubuntu Linux which is bundled in a piece of software which alows it to run within a MS Windows Desktop. It doesn't install anything on the Windoze machine, simply runs from a folder which can be on a hard drive, or a USB plug in, so you can take it with you and use with a different PC.

I haven't had time to properly play with it, but ran it yesterday and it downloaded Linux games and ran them whilst I was in Windoze.
It seems worth checking out if you want to try out Linux, but do not want to lose your Microsoft programmes.

Quack!
GtD.