[ale] If you must restore a windows computer, how do you make it better?

[Brandon Checketts]

I'm trying to do something similar with a windows box that I have.  My
thought is to have the main system run Fedora 11 (or Ubuntu.. haven't
decided yet).   The linux base system will have LVM and software raid.

Then, my though it to copy an entire existing WinXP partition to a VM
and somehow make that bootable.  The idea is to have those linux-based
benefits passed transparently through to the WinXP system.

So far, this is just thought out, I haven't implemented it though, so
something may not work.

Thanks,
Brandon Checketst

Richard Bronosky wrote:
> ## Please include this in replies. The OP is requesting that we refrain from
> ## the use of cryptic L33t H at xx0r anti-MSFT-isms.
> 
> My MiL had a hard drive failure in her Dell windows media center
> machine. (which does not have a tuner card and serves not media center
> purpose, but the Dell sales person up-sold her) I have recovered the
> data using my Linux desktop and a drive dock. I now must consider what
> to do with the bones.
> 
> She will not use anything other than windows. End of story. Moving on.
> 
> I would like to put a Linux based virtualization solution underneath
> so that I can have snapshots and recovery options in the future. I
> have already discussed, on this list, my love for Xen. However, I
> think that my experience with Xen offers very little to this task.
> What I do know is:
> * She doesn't want to dual boot Linux and learn to love it. Seriously.
> This will only bring iL pain.
> * I don't want her hitting some key combination and ending up at a
> Linux terminal or GUI
> 
> I [think I] know that I want to have all of the user directories on
> another partition so that I can restore the OS partition and leave the
> user data intact. But, I don't know what other considerations there
> are.
> 
> If you had to install windows for someone [how] would you try to make
> it better with Linux under the hood?
> 
> (Please be aware, I know nothing about Windows>98.)
>