What the guy above said ^^^^^.....BigBadBeef....
You can run something called a "live distro" straight off a USB stick
In a nutshell......use
Balena Etcher to attach/burn a Linux iso to a thumb drive
For simplicitie’s sake use
Linux Mint ....it
looks a great deal like windows but that is where the likeness ends
Boot your PC to that usb
I WILL NOT harm your pc...it installs in ram...memory...it does not affect the hard drive or ssd etc ect
The ONLY way it can get onto the hard drive /ssd is if you double click on install linux mint....which will be on the desktop
Just take it for a run....manouvere around...open and close things....download stuff if you want to....
.HAVE A GOOD HARD LOOK....dont try to be gentle with it....give it hell.
When you decide you have seen enough....just click on menu, then on the red quit button...and choose to Reboot.
It will start to reboot,,,,and the pc screen will tell you to take the usb out, and then hit enter.
The pc will reboot and you will be back to windows.
Note:: What you have just done on the 'Live" version of Linux Mint
WILL NOT be saved......everything that you installed or opened/changed etc etc etc ...will be
GONE
If you boot to the usb again...it will be like new...untouched.
Other people can tell you about dual booting and all that crap
I did not dual boot....ever. I would boot to the live usb (as above) and just go to town on it....I learned how to manoeuvre around it....where stuff is....what apps it has in the software manager (menu, type in software manager....there it is)...etc etc....I did this for a week or more.......Then
I double clicked on the "Install Linux Mint on the desktop and have never looked back. That was more than 7 years ago.
The people here are very, very good, You can ask any question and get a straight answer,
The above is an excellent way to start....the usb stick will be a bit slower than a full install, but still good enough to show you around
The thing about Linux is....you never stop learning....but it is a comfortable learning process.
An example?......i started screwing with various bits and pieces on my Linux Mint 21.1 (Cinnamon)....and I managed to absolutely annihilated it.....in spades !!...wouldnot boot etc etc...it was screwed.
I had two choices....us Timeshift to restore it to a few days earlier....or Restore an image backup
I used Timeshift and was back uo and running in 20 minutes. No sweat. timeshift is included on almost ALL linux distros. It works.
Another time i managed to do that.....it was actually beyong Timeshift....so I went to my external hard drive and Restored the image from there which I had taken a week or so prior.
No sweat.
Did i mention....that everything...EVERYTHING about Linux, and all its apps is
FREE
Note to the wise: if you have any apps you might use on windows, and perhaps you are unsure if there is a feasible alternative on Linux....just make a list of what you use here and I will comment on each and every one of them
personally, I would not use Wine.
Sorry to ramble on and on....did I tell you?....the people here talk a lot !
and BTW....Welcome to Linux.org !!