Ditching Windows.

M

mozco

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I have a lot of issues with Windows OS, can I ditch the whole lot once I have installed Linux ?.
 


Well, are there any programs on Windows you can't live without?
 
Most people can switch to Linux without problems. Linux offers every type of program from office suites, spreadsheets, web browsers, games, game emulators (like SNES and MAME among others), email clients, etc.
 
Thank you ryanvade and Devyn for your response.

I keep getting this message …..

‘’You are about to be logged off.

Windows has encountered a critical problem and will re-start automatically in one minute. Please save your work now’’

Pc then shuts down and restarts, MS community are no help, never answering the Q and asking other ‘geeky’ questions that confuse me even further.

Once Linux is installed will it completely override Windows or will Windows ‘interfere’, hence my original Q as to whether I should dump Windows OS altogether.
 
You can choose to dual boot - meaning, when you boot up your computer you can choose to start windows OR linux.. Once in either windows or linux, the other won't interfere at all...

Or - you can choose to replace windows with linux, thus getting rid of windows forever.
 
Sounds like it could be MalWare.

You may want to use Ultimate Boot CD DBAN option to wipe the hard drive before installing Linux.

And/or scan your Windows System with a Spyware/Adware detector such as Spybot S&D and/or Malwarebytes, Bitdefender, etc. particularly if you plan on keeping Windows.
 
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Sounds like it could be MalWare.

You may want to use Ultimate Boot CD DBAN option to wipe the hard drive before installing Linux.

And/or scan your Windows System with a Spyware/Adware detector such as Spybot S&D and/or Malwarebytes, Bitdefender, etc. particularly if you plan on keeping Windows.

Thank you SLW210.
 
Yes, It is a great idea, You can always get rid of gross ol' winders and get linux, A great place to start (Sorry I cant post links) is elementary os, just look it up.
 
Wipe your drive and make a nice fresh install of the distro of your choice. DBAN is a great way to wipe your drive, and even if you have a windows program you really need, you can use WINE, or boot up a windows virtual machine with VirtualBox or VMware.
 
Wipe your drive and make a nice fresh install of the distro of your choice. DBAN is a great way to wipe your drive, and even if you have a windows program you really need, you can use WINE, or boot up a windows virtual machine with VirtualBox or VMware.

Oops, I revived an old thread, think I did this a few times today without realizing it, this isn't a very active forum is it? :)
 
@ Tux1342

Don't worry, we are all guilty of that, um ,"sin". However, from a new member's point of view, it's a great way to read "back" post, that have gotten buried.

@Yesyesloud

I need to remind myself to swallow coffee first before reading your posts...
 
Hi,
Is this possible with my machine?

I'm using an unpartitioned, 500GB IDE HD running
Win XP with 4GB DDR ram, 32 bit.

What I'd like to do is F-disk the HD (if
that's still appropriate), F-Disk the Master
Boot Record, format the entire HD & do all this
without using the Windows XP CD or any Windows
tool.

I understand from above Ultimate Boot CD DBAN can
format the HD nicely, so can it also Fdisk the HD & MBR?

Anyway, I want to keep the HD unpartitioned (or maybe
a small partition since the HD is 500GB).

When the format is done, then
install Linux Mint 16 Petra.

Once Petra is installed, install Virtual Box
(or a better tool) into Linux Petra.

Then install Win XP into Virtual Box.

Once all this is done & running fine,
my intentions are to only(?) use Win XP
running inside Virtual Box for all my
computing needs (no games or like).

Is this possible to do?

And if possible, is it recommended?

Will all my Windows & DOS based programs
work, like my voice over IP Magic Jack for
instance, inside Windows inside Virtual Box, do
you know?

Reason I want to do this is for security
and privacy reasons, yet not give up my needed XP
apps like Magic Jack or my Internet Download
Manager SW, or iTunes, etc..

Any help will be appreciated & will help others too
wanting to do the same thing

[You can learn more why switching to Linux
is extremly important now then ever before by
reading David Spring's free PDF titled Free Youself
From Microsoft & the NSA
. ]
 
"what I'd like to do is F-disk the HD (ifthat's still appropriate), F-Disk the Master
Boot Record, format the entire HD & do all this without using the Windows XP CD or any Windows tool."

That's the best way. I like SystemRescueCD as it contains hdd maintenance tools, including DBAN, plus gparted for partitioning. These are perhaps the ones contained I use most. It's best to use 'nix tools for 'nix OSes.

Another way is one that beginners' forums don't like because it incorporates the DD command (AKA Data Destroyer). Say your entire hard drive needs to be wiped clean because it contains the dirty NTFS file system, which by experience I can tell you will mess up an install of some GNU/Linux distros (as SLW210 alluded to indirectly). Boot any LiveCD and got to command line as root and type in a variation of or copy
Code:
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda bs=4096 conv=notrunc,sync
.

Go have your favorite beverage or see a movie or go to bed, because it will take a while.
In the end you will see I think three lines stating " . . . out of space" and how many kb or mb were written as zeroes.

Good luck and welcome!
 
There is nothing wrong with using dd. Many common tools have the potential to destroy - this does not mean they're not useful. It certainly has a place on a beginners forum. Not every beginner, wants a preconfigured windows clone - some want to gain a better understanding of *nix systems and computing as a whole and we should probably always assume that new users are this type of user and treat them as equals rather than going straight to baby steps.
Is this possible with my machine?
Yes the distro's installer will allow you to hose windows completely - just tell it to use the entire disk or just go into manual partitioning, delete all partitions and create the ones you want. Windows and all associated data will be no more - so ensure you backed up.

Then install Win XP into Virtual Box.

Once all this is done & running fine,
my intentions are to only(?) use Win XP
running inside Virtual Box for all my
computing needs (no games or like).
You seem misinformed. You're under the illusion that running windows virtualised inside a secure OS will make it as secure as the host OS - this is quite simply not the case. The virtualised windows will require exactly the same security measures and precautions as would windows running on bare metal and will have all of the same problems and vulnerabilities.

Is this possible to do?
It's possible, but it's also utterly pointless...

And if possible, is it recommended?
Nope.

Will all my Windows & DOS based programs
work, like my voice over IP Magic Jack for
instance, inside Windows inside Virtual Box, do
you know?
No idea - certainly no guarantees that everything will work.

Reason I want to do this is for security
and privacy reasons, yet not give up my needed XP
apps like Magic Jack or my Internet Download
Manager SW, or iTunes, etc..
You should just buy a decent router/gateway/firewall if you don't already have one - it will give much the same level of protection. Or you could set up a GNU/Linux box as your router if you're willing to invest the time and effort involved.

You could try switching to GNU/Linux completely - abandon the virtualisation idea and find alternatives for your apps / do without them / or research as to whether they will run under wine. Personally, from reading your post, I don't think that's for you.
 
Thank you pane-free & Iabrat for your help. It is very much appreciated.

I had an idea & am doing the research to support or refute that idea. And the info you both provided helps. Thanks.

According to David Spring's pdf book (Free Yourself from Microsoft and the NSA), sticking with Windows makes them an easy target for snooping & data mining, not to mention planting info into your computer (like child porn) or just turning your computer into a brick (metaphorically speaking), if the NSA doesn't like you.

And XP will stop being supported next month (April 2014). So I'm playing with ideas & possible solutions.
Again thanks.
 
Not using proprietary closed source software is a huge step towards freeing yourself from snooping and data mining. However most of these activities are based around your browser and browsing habits - even open source browsers - as well as from other proprietary web connected apps like iTunes...

Not using that kind of software is the first step (you will always be in the dark as to what it's doing - as it is developed in secrecy and the source cannot be scrutinised). Ensuring that the open source replacements are configured not to send your data to 3rd parties is the next.
 
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@labrat hit the nail on the head. Your OS is only the tip of the iceberg. A large part of data mining comes form internet surfing/services. Got a Google, Yahoo, MSN, Apple, Facebook account? NSA has access to all of it. Use web-based email services? NSA can get access to that information. Use Skype, YouTube, AOL/AIM, or PalTalk? NSA has access to that data. Use any major browser to surf the Internet? The Govt can track your location and sent/received data based on your IP address.

Trying to stop NSA surveillance means a complete change in your tech "lifestyle" online and offline.

This site may help: https://prism-break.org/en/

However, the only TRUE way to stop NSA surveillance is to stop using the Internet altogether.
 
Browsers like google chrome are designed around tracking and data mining. google funded browsers like firefox and opera are the same. If you don't want to report every URL you visit to google, you need to turn it off... or use a different browser.
 

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