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    Replacing your Operating System

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    • linuxmint7
      linuxmint7 last edited by

      Yes, it is best if it is empty. Do you have an empty SD card or USB flash drive/memory stick ?.

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      • A Former User
        A Former User last edited by

        Yes, it is best if it is empty.

        What if it's just bought, for example - should I better format it still? Or will it be not necessary?

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        • linuxmint7
          linuxmint7 last edited by

          Does it have anything on it when you look inside it on the computer ?, I'm asking because a lot of new flash drives come with software on them already, such as 'Back-up' software or 'Encryption' software. If it does have anything on it (such as the above), then yes, it is best to format it first.

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          • A Former User
            A Former User last edited by

            You are talking about reformatting it, there had better be nothing you can't lose there.

            Steve, what if that disc is more-than-half empty (btw, there's a fair uninterrupted space on the disc - as long as my defragmentation analysis has shown)?
            Is formatting truly necessary? Am I to lose those stored files if I try to put a Linux there as it is now?

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            • A Former User
              A Former User last edited by

              Does it have anything on it when you look inside it on the computer ?,

              What's wrong with your punctuating skills? 😛
              No, such new drives are not usually void. I guess I won't lose anything if I lose those... <_<

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              • linuxmint7
                linuxmint7 last edited by

                Does it have anything on it when you look inside it on the computer ?,

                What's wrong with your punctuating skills?

                I was putting/typing it in simple terms, so as not to sound confusing.

                No, nothing of value will be lost if you format the drive.

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                • A Former User
                  A Former User last edited by

                  There perhaps is another possibility (people are talking about): what is a virtual box?

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                  • sgunhouse
                    sgunhouse Moderator Volunteer last edited by

                    You know that Windows now uses NTFS, while it used to use something else? You know that Mac systems use something completely different - if you were to take a drive actually formatted for OSX and plug it into Windows you won't be able to read it? Linux uses its own completely different file system. The Linux installer can chop a piece off of an existing partition to reformat for its own use, but Windows had better not have anything in that piece because a low-level reformat can not be undone.

                    While Linux can read a Windows-formatted disk. Linux uses a different set of file properties that Windows just doesn't track. Linux files have an owner and a group, they track when they were created and not just last modified ... stuff like that.

                    Virtualbox is a virtual machine (aka VM), it can allow you to run two different systems at the same time - not merely on the same hardware, but actually both running. I've never really had a use for that.

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                    • A Former User
                      A Former User last edited by

                      You know that Windows now uses NTFS..?

                      Have no idea. Even don't know what it is... :rolleyes:

                      The Linux installer can chop a piece off of an existing partition to reformat for its own use, but Windows had better not have anything in that piece because a low-level reformat can not be undone.

                      You mean once it's installed, it won't be messing badly with my own private files should I place them into that partition?

                      Linux files have an owner and a group, they track when they were created and not just last modified ... stuff like that.

                      🆙
                      (In my Windows though, I sorta have a "Created" property, too.)

                      Virtualbox is a virtual machine (aka VM), it can allow you to run two different systems at the same time - not merely on the same hardware, but actually both running.

                      Is it that the CPU and such things should be more powerful for that?

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                      • sgunhouse
                        sgunhouse Moderator Volunteer last edited by

                        Is it that the CPU and such things should be more powerful for that?

                        It helps, certainly.

                        You mean once it's installed, it won't be messing badly with my own private files should I place them into that partition?

                        It won't even be using that partition - but the partition will be smaller.

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                        • A Former User
                          A Former User last edited by

                          It won't even be using that partition - but the partition will be smaller.

                          Would you explain, please?
                          Like Kelly had two partitions. Then came Polly, and... What did Polly do?

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                          • sgunhouse
                            sgunhouse Moderator Volunteer last edited by

                            Polly cut off a piece of the partition (whichever one you told her to) and reformatted it ... actually making several partitions from that piece - a swap file (Linux uses a dedicated partition for a swap file) and one for the Linux OS itself. So Kelly still has two partitions, but one is smaller than it used to be.

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                            • A Former User
                              A Former User last edited by

                              So, Kelly's apples were 200g each. Let's say they were green and red.
                              He said Polly could use the green one. Polly took that, cut a piece (say, 50g) off and returned that to Kelly. The other 150 green grams Polly used for her own purposes.
                              Right?

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                              • A Former User
                                A Former User last edited by

                                Will ANY new OS proceed with formatting certain space?

                                What's there with the existing partition(s)? Will the new OS consider it/them upon installing and what (if) does it depend on/is it determined by?

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                                • A Former User
                                  A Former User last edited by admin

                                  Imagine that!
                                  Just phoned Microsoft* - they said I can't update my XP to anything any more*:doh:*
                                  They said I'm gonna buy anything microscopic&soft for this machine now*:XP:*
                                  Or else - "reserve-recovery". But it'll leave me with a ~4-year-old system status - no SP3, no any-all more or less fresh malware definitions, even I guess there won't be any patches/system updates that I've received during my use of the system...

                                  I guess I'm left with an imminent Linux anyway, so...
                                  A question: can Windows partition a USB-drive?

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                                  • k-art
                                    k-art last edited by

                                    I went to Window 7 Pro x64 so I could run my older programs in XP Mode without the dual-boot hoopla.

                                    I also play with Linux Live CD's, I'm beginning to even question the need for Windows which is a little hard for a freelance graphic/web designer.

                                    I can see down the road (less than 5 years) where most things will be ported to a tablet computer.

                                    Think about a 17-20" tablet for creative's - close your mouth - your drooling ;}

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                                    • linuxmint7
                                      linuxmint7 last edited by

                                      Think about a 17-20" tablet

                                      They already exist since 2013, HP do a 21.5" Android tablet/slate.

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                                      • k-art
                                        k-art last edited by

                                        Well La-di-da... good find!

                                        Thanks for the info 😎

                                        I'm thinking more along the lines of a Windows based tablet, but only time will tell...

                                        It's hard to replace a desktop for tablet when graphic/web design is involved.

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                                        • Deleted User
                                          Deleted User last edited by

                                          Well La-di-da... good find!
                                          Thanks for the info 😎
                                          I'm thinking more along the lines of a Windows based tablet, but only time will tell...
                                          It's hard to replace a desktop for tablet when graphic/web design is involved.

                                          My wife recently replaced her Dell desktop with a Surface Pro 3 and she loves it.

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