On Wed, Aug 9, 2017 at 2:40 PM, Denis Heidtmann <denis.heidtm...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I just purchased a new desktop machine. It has Windows 10 pro, not yet > activated. After installing Ubuntu I would like to be able to run this > Windows as a guest in VB. My searching tells me that this can be a bit > tricky. I am not in any hurry to migrate. I first want to make sure I do > not do anything which will cut off this possibility. Do I need to backup > something from the machine before I install Linux, or can I just use the > COA sticker to get what I need from Microsoft after I have wiped the HD, > installed Ubuntu and VB? I have no reason to run Win 10 (except as a > guest) on the machine other than to initially ensure myself that the > machine is functioning properly. > > Thanks, > -Denis > ___ I have used the instructions here https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Migrate_Windows to migrate Windows XP to Virtualbox, but have not tried it with WIndows 10. In summary you boot into windows and run a script which does some registry magic that makes your Disk drivers look very generic. Then you shut down, DD the image, convert it the DD'd image to a virtualbox image and boot it. It sounds easy, but it's Windows and every step is fraught with peril. You should also boot into Windows and create a Recovery Drive before you do anything else. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4026852/windows-create-a-recovery-drive After you have a Recovery Drive you might want to shrink your WIndows installation. I have done this before with a live linux and GPARTED, but Windows has a native way of doing this now which sounds like a better idea https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/resize-a-partition-for-free-in-windows-vista/ Good luck, Bill Barry _______________________________________________ PLUG mailing list PLUG@lists.pdxlinux.org http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
