[sf-lug] seeking advice re running Windows (on a Linux OS)

[Rick Moen]

Quoting alexkleider (alexkleider at protonmail.com):

> I've just acquired a new lap top which came with Windows preinstalled
> (not my choice.) Since the OS has been paid for, I'd rather not just
> throw it away by doing a GNU/Linux install.

One option:  Unplug its storage drive (SSD or hard drive), put that on a
shelf with a tag explaing where it came from and what's on it, and plug
a new SSD into your laptop.  (This could be your chance to upgrade from
HD to SSD, and maybe increase capacity.)

Advantage:  Gives you a guaranteed way to revert to factory
configuration, e.g., if necessary for warranty service, and ensures that
you always have MS-Windows around for things like running Win32 .exe
programs for reflashing ROMs.

Disadvantage:  Obviously, you would not be able to run that MS-Windows
master copy while it's sitting on your shelf.


If you want to _also_ be able to run MS-Windows, you can do the above
and then (quoting one of my sf-lug posts from 14 months ago):

---<begin old post>---

I could be wrong, but what I hear is that if you migrate a Windows
installation (say, via VMware's free-of-charge downloadable p2v tool,
VMware vCenter Converter, http://www.vmware.com/products/converter/) to
a virtual machine, you will of course need to face Microsoft's Product
Activation process again, but what I heard was that you just telephone
them as directed and explain you've moved Windows to a VM, and they're
reported to be reasonable about this.

I'd be interested to hear from someone who's been through the matter.
In my case, I haven't had MS-Windows on my own machines since Windows
for Workgroups 3.11, so I have no relevant experience -- but over on
CABAL's Conspire mailing list we've discussed the technical details of
such a migration a number of times.  Recapping briefly:

1.  Non-destructively shrink your Windows partition with one of the
usual tools, so it's no bigger than it needs to be.
2.  Attach a big USB-connected external drive, which I suppose should
have a big ext4 partition on it.  From a live distro, run the p2v tool
for Linux to image the Windows parttion to a big honkin' .vmdk file on
the external USB drive.  This might take an hour.
3.  To be totally safe and not risk burning any bridges, extract the
Windows drive, set it aside as a spare, and put a different blank
drive into the computer.  (This step can be skipped if one is
confident, but I wouldn't.)
4.  Install native Linux.  Install VirtualBox for Linux.  Copy
the .vmdk file back from the big external drive.  Create a new
VM called 'Windows' and point it to the file from the big USB drive,
and make sure the VM boots correctly.  (VirtualBox can read .vmdk
files.)  Windows will require Windows Product Activation again, so
that's where you call Microsoft.

At the end of this fire-drill, you've moved MS-Windows into a VM _and_
you have a safety copy of installed Windows on the extracted hard drive
plus (if you wish to keep it) an off-system-stored .vmdk snapshot of
that same installation.  Plus, you'll be able to use your preferred
OS as the main (host) OS, while still having concurrent access to
MS-Windows applications in a VM when you need them.

I'll admit I've not tested the procedure, because I've not needed
it. 

---<end old post>---


Since I posted that, I've also heard that VirtualBox can be 
configured to passthrough from the VM to the places in the physical
machine where MS-Windows seeks its activation data, so that MS-Windows
can read that and consider itself authorised.

I'm not going to even try to find the exact details, but people trying
to deal with Microsoft licensing can chase them down if so moved.