How to preserve a Windows installation.

[balanga]

I want to install FreeBSD on a disk which has Windows installled, but with an option of archiving and possibly reactivating Windows at some point.

Any suggestions as to how to go about it?

 

[richardtoohey2]

I think the chances of it going right are less than the chances of it going wrong (and maybe it will be alright initially but then you forget and accidentially do something in six months time that trashes the Windows part), so you might be better off getting another drive if you can do so. But I appreciate you may not be able to do so.

That's the only way to be 100% sure of preserving the Windows set-up - leave it on the drive by itself.

 

[balanga]

If I mount the Windows partition and tar the contents, should I expect to restore Windows by untarring?

 

[victort]

FreeBSD has a live CD option if you just want to try it out…

 

[elgrande]

You can also shrink the Windows partition and have a dual boot system.
That’s what I normally do…

 

[balanga]

FreeBSD has a live CD option if you just want to try it out…

I've been trying out FreeBSD for ten years

 

[cracauer@]

If I mount the Windows partition and tar the contents, should I expect to restore Windows by untarring?

No.

 

[Alain De Vos]

To boot Windows i have a linux-install with grub. It allows me to boot any O.S.

 

[balanga]

To boot Windows i have a linux-install with grub. It allows me to boot any O.S.

Are talking about an existing Windows installation or one which has been archived?

 

[cracauer@]

You need to make a dd backup. And of the whole drive, not just the Windows partition.

 

[Alain De Vos]

Are talking about an existing Windows installation or one which has been archived?

I installed first windows and made room for my freebsd & linux partitions.

 

[dark.initr0]

I use dual boot (FreeBSD boot loader boot0) - FreeBSD and Windows.
I have reduced size of windows partition and left free space after, where I have installed FreeBSD.
Before install think twice about space for FreeBSD. If you want someday to resize current UFS partitions - it will be hard (or even impossible).

 

[_al]

What system are you using? BIOS/MBR, BIOS/GPT, UEFI? Boot into Windows, shrink the Windows partition, read this,
install FreeBSD, use rEFInd or grub to configure boot. I always use grub.

If you don't want to install Linux, or have difficulty with 'grub-install' from linux LiveCD, you can try this or this (haven't tried it, I always have Linux with grub installed on my machines)

 

[meine]

I want to install FreeBSD on a disk which has Windows installled, but with an option of archiving and possibly reactivating Windows at some point.

Make a backup of the Windows recovery partition on a separate USB thumbdrive. Windows has a special option for that.

When using Windows in a dual boot, watch out for pushed updates of it. It might overcrowd the Windows partition. Happened here with W11 and automatic updates switched off. Redmond overrules that.

 

[bgavin]

Be a big spender, and mothball the windows disk, get a new SSD and install FBSD on that new disk.
I see a lot of windows UEFI corrupted boot configurations in client workstations.

This is far more delicate and intricate than is MBR, and more of a PITA to correct.
Throw in a dual-boot environment and you are ripe for problems.
IMO, Windows is simply too fragile and complicated to live reliably in a dual boot environment.

Run it in a VM or on its own disk, unless you like tinkering with challenging problems and inoperable systems.
I have neither time nor desire for this.

 

[balanga]

Make a backup of the Windows recovery partition on a separate USB thumbdrive. Windows has a special option for that.

When using Windows in a dual boot, watch out for pushed updates of it. It might overcrowd the Windows partition. Happened here with W11 and automatic updates switched off. Redmond overrules that.

Is there any way to make such a backup without booting Windows?

The Windows partition has 125GB out of 150GB free and I'd prefer not to have an archive of the whole drive if possible.

 

[Charlie_]

Reading the documentation, it looked like I could use ntfsclone included in sysutils/fusefs-ntfs, but when I tried it, I got an error.

 

[bvdw78]

Clonezilla still exists at clonezilla.org. You could try creating an image backup of your existing drive. That way, you can restore to a 100% identical state from before you start experimenting with FreeBSD.

 

[hruodr]

You need to make a dd backup. And of the whole drive, not just the Windows partition.

The hardware solution is better. One can use removable frames to easily exchange hard disks.

 

[cracauer@]

The hardware solution is better. One can use removable frames to easily exchange hard disks.

No question, yes. But since I don't actually use the Windows installs on my laptops I just save away a dd image for when I might want to sell it eventually.

 

[cracauer@]

Is there any way to make such a backup without booting Windows?

The Windows partition has 125GB out of 150GB free and I'd prefer not to have an archive of the whole drive if possible.

If it is on the first partition you can do a partial image of the whole disk.

But if the other partitions are full of zeros and you compress the dd image those other partitions will not take up space even if you include them in the dd.

 

[balanga]

Reading the documentation, it looked like I could use ntfsclone included in sysutils/fusefs-ntfs, but when I tried it, I got an error.

Thanks for the pointer, I'll give it a try.

 

[meine]

Is there any way to make such a backup without booting Windows?

Don't know. Sites on the recovery are Windows-user only.

My guess is that you always can backup the files in the recovery partition from another OS.

 

[bgavin]

I see a lot of guessing going on here.
If you have MBR, you can GHOST the disk or partitions.
I suggest doing the entire disk.

Until you have done a RESTORE and windows continues to work, you are just guessing.
Windows is very finicky.

I suggest you do a Windows System Image backup BEFORE you start tinkering.
Boot the Windows system, Control Panel, Backup is in there.
Back up to an external USB disk, so you have a safety net and a way to recover when it all turns to shit.