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[Shackeng]

As Win 7 is dying, I am about to try Linux. In my disc management, there is a partition saying:

System Reserved
100Mb NTFS
Healthy, System, Active, Primary Partition

What is this for?
The options to delete or extend volume are unavailable.

[deviator]

It's a system reserved partition for Windows. A fresh install on Linux will allow you to edit the HDD config and delete this during the installation process.

Which flavour of linux is tempting you?

[Shackeng]

One that a friend has given me on a stick, but I've forgotten the name. He says it is suitable for a numpty such as me.
As far as the partition is concerned, I thought I had partitioned my hard drive sometime ago preparing for Linux, but the one I referred to is the only one besides the C drive.

[aaronjb]

Short version: It's a sort of system recovery partition. You can delete it, but you probably shouldn't.
Long version: https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/5f9e147e-32de-4a69-80eb-86f1b10f1c4c/forum-faqdisk-topic-part-7-the-100mb-hidden-partition-created-during-the-windows-7-installation?forum=w7itproinstall

[Shackeng]

Cheers Aaron. Delete option is greyed out anyway.

[ronnyd]

I,m using Linux Mint that my BIL installed for me last year. Seems ok at the moment, but, as i,m such a computer dummy, my usage is, shall we say, very shallow.

[Shackeng]

I,m using Linux Mint that my BIL installed for me last year. Seems ok at the moment, but, as i,m such a computer dummy, my usage is, shall we say, very shallow.

 

[TheBoy]

If you're not using Windows, you can blow it away.

If you like Windoze, you can still upgrade it to Windows 10 for free - assuming the hardware can hold it.


Linux is my day job nowadays, since the demise of real, reliable Unix.  Its fair to say, whilst I'm comfortable with it, and Redhat Certified, I sure as hell wouldn't use it as a desktop myself.

[Shackeng]

If you're not using Windows, you can blow it away.

If you like Windoze, you can still upgrade it to Windows 10 for free - assuming the hardware can hold it.


Linux is my day job nowadays, since the demise of real, reliable Unix.  Its fair to say, whilst I'm comfortable with it, and Redhat Certified, I sure as hell wouldn't use it as a desktop myself.

Hmmm, the two friends who recommended it are not IT experts, well one is a professional so I suppose he is very competent. The other is just an interested amateur, and both happily use their version of Linux as desktop systems. 

[TheBoy]

If you're not using Windows, you can blow it away.

If you like Windoze, you can still upgrade it to Windows 10 for free - assuming the hardware can hold it.


Linux is my day job nowadays, since the demise of real, reliable Unix.  Its fair to say, whilst I'm comfortable with it, and Redhat Certified, I sure as hell wouldn't use it as a desktop myself.

Hmmm, the two friends who recommended it are not IT experts, well one is a professional so I suppose he is very competent. The other is just an interested amateur, and both happily use their version of Linux as desktop systems. 

(Assuming you have good backups of all your stuff) There is no harm in trying it .  You may take to it like a duck to water, especially if all you do is use a web browser .

But just before you blow away your Win7 system, get your free Win10 licence for it by doing the upgrade. Then you have a supported, licenced path back to Windows should Linux not work out for you

PM me direct if you need clarification.

[aaronjb]

What TB said, really - if you mostly browse the web, you'll probably get along with it just fine .. my other half - albeit also an IT bod - uses it happily on her laptop at home for browsing/email/working from home.

I toy with the idea regularly - but mostly I'm a Mac person these days (since corporate support that). There's a Raspberry Pi 4 running Linux to my left that I play with occasionally .. it's next to the Amiga 1500, 1200, 500, Spectrum +3 and Sinclair QL that I also play with occasionally

[Shackeng]

If you're not using Windows, you can blow it away.

If you like Windoze, you can still upgrade it to Windows 10 for free - assuming the hardware can hold it.


Linux is my day job nowadays, since the demise of real, reliable Unix.  Its fair to say, whilst I'm comfortable with it, and Redhat Certified, I sure as hell wouldn't use it as a desktop myself.

Hmmm, the two friends who recommended it are not IT experts, well one is a professional so I suppose he is very competent. The other is just an interested amateur, and both happily use their version of Linux as desktop systems. 

(Assuming you have good backups of all your stuff) There is no harm in trying it .  You may take to it like a duck to water, especially if all you do is use a web browser .

But just before you blow away your Win7 system, get your free Win10 licence for it by doing the upgrade. Then you have a supported, licenced path back to Windows should Linux not work out for you

PM me direct if you need clarification.

Thanks Jaime.

[TheBoy]

What TB said, really - if you mostly browse the web, you'll probably get along with it just fine .. my other half - albeit also an IT bod - uses it happily on her laptop at home for browsing/email/working from home.

I toy with the idea regularly - but mostly I'm a Mac person these days (since corporate support that). There's a Raspberry Pi 4 running Linux to my left that I play with occasionally .. it's next to the Amiga 1500, 1200, 500, Spectrum +3 and Sinclair QL that I also play with occasionally

My Mac - an i7, 16Gb, 512G SSD, 2017 vintage I think, sees less action than my QL/Spectrum (original)/A500

[TheBoy]

What TB said, really - if you mostly browse the web, you'll probably get along with it just fine .. my other half - albeit also an IT bod - uses it happily on her laptop at home for browsing/email/working from home.

I toy with the idea regularly - but mostly I'm a Mac person these days (since corporate support that). There's a Raspberry Pi 4 running Linux to my left that I play with occasionally .. it's next to the Amiga 1500, 1200, 500, Spectrum +3 and Sinclair QL that I also play with occasionally

My Mac - an i7, 16Gb, 512G SSD, 2017 vintage I think, sees less action than my QL/Spectrum (original)/A500

It dual boots windoze (because I need stuff that either isn't available on macOS, or simply doesn't work since the previous, previous set of updates), but there is no way I'll ever get used to Apple's stupid non US keyboard (for non Mac users, the non US keyboard is essentially a US keyboard)…   ...that's before you consider its one of those keyboards (for non Mac users, these are the new Apple laptop keyboards that don't actually work, and only a class action has made Apple "repair" them, the repair being as reliable as the original).

[STEMO]

I have a 10" iPad. I do everything on it, surfing, banking, emails, YouTube, etc. Although I appreciate that some people need to do a lot more than me, I reckon it's all the average user needs.

[TheBoy]

I have a 10" iPad. I do everything on it, surfing, banking, emails, YouTube, etc. Although I appreciate that some people need to do a lot more than me, I reckon it's all the average user needs.

Bit of an arse to type with though.  My gayPad never comes out. More money well spent

[STEMO]

I have a 10" iPad. I do everything on it, surfing, banking, emails, YouTube, etc. Although I appreciate that some people need to do a lot more than me, I reckon it's all the average user needs.

Bit of an arse to type with though.  My gayPad never comes out. More money well spent

I can type fast enough to keep up with most of the old codgers on here.

[TheBoy]

I have a 10" iPad. I do everything on it, surfing, banking, emails, YouTube, etc. Although I appreciate that some people need to do a lot more than me, I reckon it's all the average user needs.

Bit of an arse to type with though.  My gayPad never comes out. More money well spent

I can type fast enough to keep up with most of the old codgers on here.

For anything more than half a sentence, I find it easier and faster to boot up my 12yr old laptop from cold, and type properly.

[TheBoy]

Plus I cant easily use my gaypad in the bath. Which is where I am right now.

[STEMO]

Plus I cant easily use my gaypad in the bath. Which is where I am right now.

The fast typing world champion uses one finger , so there.

[TheBoy]

Plus I cant easily use my gaypad in the bath. Which is where I am right now.

The fast typing world champion uses one finger , so there.

For what?

Oh, typing

[STEMO]

Plus I cant easily use my gaypad in the bath. Which is where I am right now.

The fast typing world champion uses one finger , so there.

For what?

Oh, typing

And giving the bird to two fingered typists 

[Jobbie]

I've been useing Deepin Linux for a few years now. It's a carbon copy essentially of Windows 7. Couldn't be more impressed. Based on Debian, not ubuntu.

[deviator]

Could I point out that most modern linux distro's have a live mode. You boot from DVD or USB into linux without installing. You can play and test it out before you hit the install option. Please be aware the 'live' version will be a lot slower than a properly installed version.

[TheBoy]

Could I point out that most modern linux distro's have a live mode. You boot from DVD or USB into linux without installing. You can play and test it out before you hit the install option. Please be aware the 'live' version will be a lot slower than a properly installed version.

Live images definitely have their place.  I've spent all day trying to get one to load on a machine in the arse end of nowhere

Although in reality, you can then only play with the apps that are included in the Live image, which then means you don't get to play with the really good stuff...

...if you wanna try Linux, and have a spare hard drive, then popping that in for a week or 2, and having a proper test

[Shackeng]

I've been useing Deepin Linux for a few years now. It's a carbon copy essentially of Windows 7. Couldn't be more impressed. Based on Debian, not ubuntu.

.

I am using Debian to try to recover my files after PC failure. (See my PC failure post)