Get assistance with dual boot setup.
Get assistance with dual boot setup.
I manage a laptop with two operating systems installed on separate hard drive partitions—Windows 10 and BOSS Linux. I’m trying to replace the Linux distribution from BOSS to Linux Mint without risking damage, since I’m worried about losing my files. There’s talk that the GNU GRUB in the Linux partition could prevent booting if you wipe it, which is a concern. I need a safe way to switch the distro while keeping everything intact.
I’ve done this several times—updating Linux or various Linux distros. Right now I’m using Mint. During the installation, I always picked an alternative option and cleared just the Linux partition. It will reinstall Grub and try to recognize your Windows setup.
You also lack the key for the Windows OS, which was included during installation. You're wondering if reinstalling Windows will activate itself automatically, since some users claim newer versions link the motherboard to the key and won't require manual activation unless you change the hardware.
There are two main Windows license options (actually three, but the third is not important). The first is a retail license. These let you modify hardware as you wish and can be transferred to another machine. The second is an OEM license. These are linked to the original computer they’re installed on and permit most hardware upgrades except the motherboard. If you reinstall, Windows should recognize your activated hardware and re-enable it. Just type "I don't have a product key" for safety. This is rare but wise—save your product key in case it fails. To do this, paste the script into Notepad and save it as a .vbs file. When executed, it will display your product key in a dialog.
Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
MsgBox ConvertToKey(WshShell.RegRead("HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\DigitalProductId"))
Function ConvertToKey(Key)
Const KeyOffset = 52
i = 28
Chars = "BCDFGHJKMPQRTVWXY2346789"
Cur = 0
x = 14
Cur = Cur * 256
Cur = Key(x + KeyOffset) + Cur
Key(x + KeyOffset) = (Cur \ 24)
And 255
Cur = Cur Mod 24
x = x -1
Loop While x >= 0
i = i -1
KeyOutput = Mid(Chars, Cur + 1, 1) & KeyOutput
If (((29 - i) Mod 6) = 0) And (i <> -1)) Then i = i -1
KeyOutput = "-" & KeyOutput
End Loop
While i >= 0
ConvertToKey = KeyOutput
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