Installing Linux on a windows hd

Wed Feb 12 21:16:22 UTC 2014

By chance does she live somewhere with a local linux users group or
computer club?
Where I live there is a local community center where people can bring their
computer once a month and have their problems sorted.
Maybe have a hunt around and see if there is something similar?
Goodluck,
William
On 13/02/2014 10:07 AM, "eoconnor25 at gmail.com" <eoconnor25 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Yes....I'm sorry but the original poster mentioned
> Ubuntu....personally....I would install Fedora....but I'm just giving
> feedback.....sorry!
>
> ----- Reply message -----
> From: "Pete Travis" <lists at petetravis.com>
> To: "Community support for Fedora users" <users at lists.fedoraproject.org>
> Subject: Installing Linux on a windows hd
> Date: Wed, Feb 12, 2014 12:41 pm
>
>
>
> On Feb 12, 2014 9:37 AM, "eoconnor25 at gmail.com" <eoconnor25 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > I would just tell her to backup all her data that she wants saved to an
> external device.....then do a clean install of Ubuntu...and then she can
> transfer her data back.  ....ditch WinXP altogether.....makes for an easier
> time when its time to support it remotely.....
> >
> >
>
> Hi, do you realize this is a Fedora list?
>
> > ----- Reply message -----
> > From: "Tim" <ignored_mailbox at yahoo.com.au>
> > To: <users at lists.fedoraproject.org>
> > Subject: Installing Linux on a windows hd
> > Date: Wed, Feb 12, 2014 9:40 am
> >
> >
> > Allegedly, on or about 12 February 2014, Roger sent:
> > > A friend who is not computer literate at all has a Dell 1520 laptop
> > > which when new, Dell required it have xp installed.
> >
> > As has already been said, XP support dies very soon.  It's not safe to
> > use XP on the net after then.  It was never particularly safe when XP
> > was being supported, anyway...
> >
> > Seen it fubared within seconds of going on-line, even saw it pop up a
> > warning about being fubarred, but did nothing to prevent it, nor would
> > anything succeed in unfubarring it.  Needed a reinstall.  How I laughed
> > when I watched my friend go through that three times in a row, on one
> > night.
> >
> > It's not just XP, itself, that becomes unsupported.  It software that
> > can be run on XP, as *those* other coders abandon the abandoned Windows
> > XP over time.  Though it's probably quite likely that some anti-virus
> > vendors will continue to produce anti-virus software for an out-of-date
> > XP for some time, long after Microsoft abandons XP.  That's been the
> > trend with even older versions of Windows.  Some do recognise that users
> > are stuck with using old OSs, for whatever reason (e.g. workplace
> > computers might be un-upgradable).
> >
> > If they are going to continue using XP, go through all the Windows
> > updates, now, let it update all the bug fixes that can be done, and
> > that'll take care of internet explorer, at the same time.  Then stop
> > using internet explorer, except for browsing the Microsoft site.  Use
> > other, safer, browsers for the www.
> >
> > But it's not new, now, is it?  So the Dell *requirement* of having XP
> > isn't really so concrete, and that requirement is surely going to have
> > to change when XP is killed.  If they must use Windows, find out the
> > latest version that can be installed on the hardware, then install it.
> > Though you may have something so old that it can't support newer
> > releases.
> >
> > > I do not know if her xp is sp1, 2 or 3 and have no way of finding out
> > > as all contact is by phone, she doesn't  have a clue about finding
> > > out, me neither, and she lives some 120 km away.
> >
> > If you feel so inclined, and both of your internet is fast enough, you
> > can take remote control of her PC, and fix it for her yourself, rather
> > than play the telephone support game.  Alternatively, have the thing
> > posted to you, sort it out, then send it back.
> >
> > There are tools that give you summaries of the installation, and the
> > "about this computer" option can reveal the service pack installed, at
> > least.  You'd need to try Windows update to see how many other things
> > its out-of-date with.
> >
> > But I abandoned helping friends with Windows, long ago.  I tell them
> > that I don't use it anymore, I'm not up to date with its foibles, and
> > it'll take me much longer to sort it out than taking it to a computer
> > shop.  It's saved me no end of grief.
> >
> > > I would like to run her through installing one of the Linux systems on
> > > the second partition but am worried that on installing it may
> > > overwrite the windows MBR making her windows files, folders, etc
> > > useless, particularly Thunderbird and Firefox. She would not be able
> > > to reinstall windows without me spending a day on the phone. I no
> > > longer have the stamina for epic phone calls.
> >
> > I know that feeling.  I had one friend who would have something go wrong
> > with his computer, then get stupidly drunk before phoning me for help.
> > It was hard enough, normally, but that made it extremely painful.
> >
> > The last few times that I've installed Linux (including recent/current
> > Fedora) on a machine with Windows already on it, it has sorted itself
> > out, and the boot menu lets you pick whether to boot Linux or Windows.
> > Depending on which distro was installed, Windows may actually appear as
> > Windows in the menu, or simply be referred to as "Other."  And Linux is
> > usually the default boot option.
> >
> > Yes, it takes over the MBR, but the grub bootloader takes care of
> > booting up Linux or Windows, so that doesn't really matter.
> >
> > It might be worth you trying out doing a multi-boot install at your own
> > end, to familiarise yourself with it.  It doesn't have to be a
> > Linux/Windows dual-boot, if you don't have a Windows install to play
> > with.  Make it two different Linux installations.
> >
> > > This person has no confidence with computers. Over the years I have
> > > talked her through windows problems but now I am lost as to how to
> > > tackle this one.
> >
> > Explain carefully and strongly that XP will not be supported within
> > about a month, that they really need to abandon it.
> >
> > > I think the best linux option would be ubuntu 12.04LTS so she doesn't
> > > have to update the OS.
> >
> > Could be...  Or CentOS, if you're more familiar with solving problems
> > similar to Fedora, than dealing with Ubuntu issues.
> >
> > > I would have to set aside 3-4 hours on the phone to walk her through a
> > > basic install before the file system updates, which can also take
> > > hours.
> >
> > I know your pain.  But a clean Linux install shouldn't take that long.
> > Only an update-install, which is based on what was previously installed
> > (and has to churn through assessing it and all the updates that will be
> > needed), should take that long to run.
> >
> > --
> > [tim at localhost ~]$ uname -rsvp
> > Linux 3.9.10-100.fc17.x86_64 #1 SMP Sun Jul 14 01:31:27 UTC 2013 x86_64
> >
> > All mail to my mailbox is automatically deleted, there is no point
> > trying to privately email me, I will only read messages posted to the
> > public lists.
> >
> > George Orwell's '1984' was supposed to be a warning against tyranny, not
> > a set of instructions for supposedly democratic governments.
> >
> >
> >
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>
> Roger, if you decide to dual boot in any way, abandon the idea of the
> "second partition".  Partitions are used to segregate, yes, but it is the
> installer's job to create the partitioning scheme.  You can help it
> partition if you know how, but either way you should start with
> unallocated, unpartitioned space.
>
> --Pete
>
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