[GTALUG] installing linux while retaining Windows 10

[Bob Jonkman]

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On 04/01/16 04:50 PM, Darryl Moore wrote:
> Suggestion: be brave!
> 
> If you need windows, reinstall it as a virtual machine. I've had
> no problem doing that and using the license key on the bottom of my
> laptop to activate it.
> 
> cheers, darryl

I've tried installing Win7 from original DVDs into a VirtualBox VM --
now I just get a message that I'm a criminal ("This copy of Windows is
not genuine"), with frequent popup reminders.  My mileage varied, your
mileage may vary too.

- --Bob.


> On 16-01-04 04:46 PM, D. Hugh Redelmeier wrote:
>> When I buy a PC, it almost always comes with Win 10 these days
>> and I am not brave enough to throw it away.  So I install Linux
>> beside Windows. For this I need to shrink the Windows partition.
>> 
>> Windows is unwilling to shrink its NTFS partition to less than
>> half its original size.  That's because it has placed the Master
>> File Table in the middle of the partition and considers it
>> unmovable.  There are third party tools that can do this but I
>> don't want to learn about them or trust them.
>> 
>> So use Linux to resize the partition to give Windows less than
>> half of the disk.  There are a couple of tricks that you need to
>> know.
>> 
>> Windows 10, by default, uses something called Fast Startup.
>> That means that when you ask it to shut down, it only hibernates.
>> I think that that means that if you change its partition (or any
>> of several other things) while it is shut down, Bad Things might
>> happen.  I think that it is best turn off Fast Startup before
>> shutting down Win 10. Settings: System: Power and Sleep: 
>> Additional Power Settings: Choose what the power buttons do: 
>> Change settings that are currently unavailable: Under Shutdown
>> Settings, untick: Turn on fast startup (recommended) (I don't
>> think that Microsoft wants you to find this.)
>> 
>> Shutdown Windows 10. Boot your favourite Live linux (need not be
>> what you install). Run gparted to resize the NTFS partition.
>> 
>> SUPERSTITIOUS MODE ON /* this seems to be needed */ Immediately
>> shut down Linux. Reboot Windows (it will repair some damage
>> caused by ntfsresize). Shut down Windows. SUPERSTITIOUS MODE OFF
>> 
>> Install Linux however you wish to.
>> 
>> You can turn on Windows' fast startup.  But only if Linux and
>> Windows share no filesystems.
>> 
>> ================
>> 
>> Alternative solution (unreliable report of Giles' approach):
>> 
>> Before EVER booting Wind 10, install Linux. Win 10 first-boot
>> process won't eat a Linux installation. --- Talk Mailing List 
>> talk at gtalug.org http://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
> 
> --- Talk Mailing List talk at gtalug.org 
> http://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
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