install Ubuntu on your system
install Ubuntu on your system
This was my initial idea, I get that having a drive to back up would be helpful, but I prefer not to spend money right now. So I’ll start by moving files to my laptop and then restore my PC. I just need to check each file carefully to make sure nothing is missed.
It seems the slowest approach is the best option. You might check with friends who have external HDDs they can share. If you don’t need something huge on a 64GB USB, you could reformat the 64GB USB and run Linux using a live image on a 4GB USB drive. This would make the process slightly faster.
I’ve collected everything I could find on my PC, but now I’m attempting a reset. I’m unsure how without a disk or a bootloader—though I think a USB bootloader would help. I don’t want to jump straight into the Linux bootloader yet. There are several problems: Windows won’t let me use the installation code, and with my 64GB USB, I’ve used part of it for swap and the rest for Linux, but I can only recover around 57.5GB instead of the expected 61.9GB. How can I fix this? Then I’d like to create a bootloader on this USB drive rather than relying on the Linux one. I hope this makes sense and I can sort it out. After fixing Windows, what’s the best way to dual boot—so I keep Linux but run it from an HDD? I’ve heard about EasyBCD or W/E, but I’m not sure if they’re right for this. Alternatively, would it be better to create a second partition (100-150GB) during installation and install Linux there later?
With Windows 10 it will restart itself automatically. I’d reformat the 64 USB drive and create a Windows install USB. Then use it to either fix the current installation or perform a full clean install (which is recommended). Create another partition for Linux and install it on that USB with a 4GB drive. During the Linux setup, choose to install alongside another operating system (the exact wording isn’t clear). This setup allows dual booting with Linux using a bootloader. When you power on the computer, you’ll see an option to pick the desired operating system. A bootable USB and bootloader are distinct concepts—bootable USB is a storage device that can start a system, while a bootloader is a collection of files that load the OS.
You're experiencing issues with Windows 7 on Linux where the USB appears as two separate drives. This often happens after a reformat or reinstall. To fix it, you can try formatting the drive again using the correct partitioning method or using a tool like `dd` to merge them. Make sure you understand what a clean install means—reinstalling everything from scratch. If you're unsure, consider using a live USB to test and verify the setup before proceeding.