Navigation

    • Login
    • Search
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Users
    • Groups
    • Rules
    • Help

    Do more on the web, with a fast and secure browser!

    Download Opera browser with:

    • built-in ad blocker
    • battery saver
    • free VPN
    Download Opera

    Replacing your Operating System

    Lounge
    5
    49
    10521
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • sgunhouse
      sgunhouse Moderator Volunteer last edited by

      If you can arrange to boot it, you can put it anywhere. The menu has to be on your primary (physical) drive, if you don't have some way of changing primary drives. And the menu doesn't actually all fit in the boot sector, so Linux has to be on the same physical drive. But Windows itself doesn't recognize non-Windows partitions, hence logical drives in the Windows sense don't matter - if you install Linux in place of some existing logical drive, Windows will act like the drive no longer exists.

      Reply Quote 0
        1 Reply Last reply
      • linuxmint7
        linuxmint7 last edited by

        Best thing to do (for Linux anyway) is burn a live-CD from some of the more popular, accessible and easy to use distributions (Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Debian, PCLinuxOS etc), boot from it and try them out for yourself. See which one/s you like and go from there. No point discussing how to install/dual-boot Linux when you haven't even tried it (in it's many forms) as you may not even like it.

        Reply Quote 0
          1 Reply Last reply
        • joshl
          joshl last edited by

          If you can arrange to boot it,...

          What does that mean?

          But Windows itself doesn't recognize non-Windows partitions, hence logical drives in the Windows sense don't matter - if you install Linux in place of some existing logical drive, Windows will act like the drive no longer exists.

          I'm not sure...
          If I remember correctly, I was somehow informed that the drive is physically one, but divided into two logical discs. All the current operational (for the Windows and other stuff) seems to be on disc C, while the other one is o'k - not used by any soft, has enough memory and doesn't need defragmentation (checked).

          Reply Quote 0
            1 Reply Last reply
          • joshl
            joshl last edited by

            Best thing to do (for Linux anyway) is burn a live-CD from some of the more popular, accessible and easy to use distributions (Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Debian, PCLinuxOS etc), boot from it and try them out for yourself. See which one/s you like and go from there. No point discussing how to install/dual-boot Linux when you haven't even tried it as you may not even like it.

            It seems irrelevant now whether I like it or not. As I'm not going to have an "advanced" Windows instead, and the only other way for a PC is to get Linux.

            So what do you say? I don't need to install-install Linux for now - but can rather do something - what is it exactly?

            Reply Quote 0
              1 Reply Last reply
            • sgunhouse
              sgunhouse Moderator Volunteer last edited by

              What does that mean?

              I've heard of computers computers which could be set in BIOS which HDD to boot from, if you only have one physical drive it does not matter.

              Are you sure the other drive is empty, and large enough? Most systems do have 2 or more partitions, but that's because the BIOS can't actually boot drive C. The other drive is what the BIOS boots, which has enough code to actually boot Windows. Either that, or the other drive contains your system backup image ...

              Reply Quote 0
                1 Reply Last reply
              • joshl
                joshl last edited by

                Are you sure the other drive is empty, and large enough?

                Not empty. Should it be EMPTY?? Like empty-empty??

                Reply Quote 0
                  1 Reply Last reply
                • joshl
                  joshl last edited by

                  Either that, or the other drive contains your system backup image ...

                  I have no idea about the "image". No backups of the system I could see; disc D seems free from that, in any case >_>

                  Reply Quote 0
                    1 Reply Last reply
                  • sgunhouse
                    sgunhouse Moderator Volunteer last edited by

                    As in, if you right-click on the drive in Explorer, Properties will say "0 bytes used, xx GB free". You are talking about reformatting it, there had better be nothing you can't lose there.

                    Reply Quote 0
                      1 Reply Last reply
                    • joshl
                      joshl last edited by

                      Oh, no! There are lots of stuff there! :awww:

                      Reply Quote 0
                        1 Reply Last reply
                      • linuxmint7
                        linuxmint7 last edited by

                        What make and model is your computer, laptop (nettop ?) joshl ?.

                        Reply Quote 0
                          1 Reply Last reply
                        • joshl
                          joshl last edited by

                          No, not joshl, - Samsung NP N-110(-KA02RU it seems).

                          Reply Quote 0
                            1 Reply Last reply
                          • linuxmint7
                            linuxmint7 last edited by

                            Ah!/oh!, It's a netbook, and does not have a CD drive.

                            http://oi49.tinypic.com/2v17l7s.jpg

                            Do you have a 4GB USB flash drive/Memory stick that is empty/blank joshl ?.

                            Reply Quote 0
                              1 Reply Last reply
                            • sgunhouse
                              sgunhouse Moderator Volunteer last edited by

                              Most of those take SD cards ... when I installed Mageia to my old netbook I used an external optical drive. But most distros tell you how to dump an ISO to a media card or USB key these days.

                              Reply Quote 0
                                1 Reply Last reply
                              • joshl
                                joshl last edited by

                                Most of those take SD cards ...

                                That's true.

                                So, will I need to throw away/move gigabytes of files to make it for a second OS? Cards and sticks are not tidily enough incorporated to the hard body of the PC. Then - move?..

                                Reply Quote 0
                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                • linuxmint7
                                  linuxmint7 last edited by

                                  You could use a USB flash drive/memory stick just for testing Linux and (if you like it) installing it to the computers internal hard drive (as dual boot) then format/wipe/blank the USB flash drive/memory stick, as it would not be needed any more.

                                  Reply Quote 0
                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                  • joshl
                                    joshl last edited by

                                    Linux, to give it a try, shall I have a totally empty drive?
                                    (It is irrelevant if it'll be a USB or SD, isn't it?)

                                    Reply Quote 0
                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                    • 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 ?.

                                      Reply Quote 0
                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                      • joshl
                                        joshl 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?

                                        Reply Quote 0
                                          1 Reply Last reply
                                        • 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.

                                          Reply Quote 0
                                            1 Reply Last reply
                                          • joshl
                                            joshl 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?

                                            Reply Quote 0
                                              1 Reply Last reply
                                            • First post
                                              Last post

                                            Computer browsers

                                            • Opera for Windows
                                            • Opera for Mac
                                            • Opera for Linux
                                            • Opera beta version
                                            • Opera USB

                                            Mobile browsers

                                            • Opera for Android
                                            • Opera Mini
                                            • Opera Touch
                                            • Opera for basic phones

                                            • Add-ons
                                            • Opera account
                                            • Wallpapers
                                            • Opera Ads

                                            • Help & support
                                            • Opera blogs
                                            • Opera forums
                                            • Dev.Opera

                                            • Security
                                            • Privacy
                                            • Cookies Policy
                                            • EULA
                                            • Terms of Service

                                            • About Opera
                                            • Press info
                                            • Jobs
                                            • Investors
                                            • Become a partner
                                            • Contact us

                                            Follow Opera

                                            • Opera - Facebook
                                            • Opera - Twitter
                                            • Opera - YouTube
                                            • Opera - LinkedIn
                                            • Opera - Instagram

                                            © Opera Software 1995-