Ordered new Dell laptop, and want Linux as OS, and Windows 10 as a VM.

While Linux will be an easy install, reinstalling the OEM OS into a VM won't be,

Why? If Windows is on a disk it isnt any harder to install to VM than it is to HDD.

Microsoft Windows OEM version (Original Equipment Manufactuer) is a specific type of product user license.

 

Microsoft Windows OEM version (Original Equipment Manufactuer) is a specific type of product user license

Yes and no.

Legally speaking, the licence restricts you from using Windows 10 with another machine. OEM versions are cheaper than retail versions (OOTB) - the retail version licence allows you to use it on any machine, but only one at a time.

Practically speaking, the OEM ties you to the manufacturer's hardware via the motherboard. You can replace or add hard disk drives, memory, graphics &c with impunity.

The motherboard limitation (it may be this which Cat refers to) can be overcome with a Microsoft account, whereby you do not enter the product key, but use other means.

An article from HowToGeek explains here - http://www.howtogeek.com/226510/how-to-use-your-free-windows-10-license-after-changing-your-pc%E2%80%99s-hardware/

I am not aware of the options with the free upgrades (XP through 8.1) as I have not used them, but they are irrelevant here.

I expect the above referenced article will also appy to a VM iteration of Windows, but I am not certain.

Hope this helps

Wizard

@Sam Gunn:

 

Hi Sam.

 

Given the Dell has a 2TB HDD, one of your better options (once you have a Windows DVD in your hands) is to reformat the computer to GPT, as opposed to the MSDOS/MBR format it is likely in, which we can establish with you.

 

This will give you the opportunity to have any reasonable number of Linuxes on the HDD (I call it future-proofing) without any dramas, and you simply carve out a partition of one of them, or at the beginning, to allow space for your VM running of Windows, such as Condobloke has suggested.

 

Cheers

 

Wizard

The computer has just been ordered, so I imagine that it'll ship with UEFI & GPT partitioning out of the box.

Cat

The OP gets his new pc either today or tomorrow I think (american location).....

I recall his original question was ::

I want to put Linux on the new computer, and have Windows 10 as a virtual machine

&

What would be a good Linux download?

We have established that Linux Mint will be a good approach for him (he does not request multiple linux os's).....and if we were to supply a short concise set of instructions for him to load his copy of win10 home into a VM

gtg....will finish later

 

While Linux will be an easy install, reinstalling the OEM OS into a VM won't be, and I speak from first hand experience

 

cat, could you expand on this?. Was this specific to Windows 10 and VMware?  I eventually want to set up a VM of Windows 7 with Linux as the host using VirtualBox.

 

Note: There is a good BC thread you started here using VMware. 

 

Yes, that's what I was speaking of, tried the trick of creating a vhdx file from my OEM OS (twice) & neither would work, even when using the VMware tool for the job. The needed tool to create the vhdx file comes from Microsoft & is a small one. 

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/ee656415.aspx

Now on my XPS 8700, while still in use, have a fully activated Windows 10 Pro license as a VM on Linux Mint 17.3 (VMware), actually as an early bird with the alpha releases, was activated 10-12 days earlier than the latecomers. I'm sure it's tied to the hardware it's on, so didn't chance moving it. Right now, the PC is back in it's box, until I find a CPU for it, was used in my 2nd PC build, the one I'm now on. 

 

While Linux will be an easy install, reinstalling the OEM OS into a VM won't be, and I speak from first hand experience

 

cat, could you expand on this?. Was this specific to Windows 10 and VMware?  I eventually want to set up a VM of Windows 7 with Linux as the host using VirtualBox.

 

Note: There is a good BC thread you started here using VMware. 

 

Like Brian, I already have a Windows 10 Pro OS in VMware Workstation Player, though as mentioned above, got it because I actively participated in the Windows 10 OS from back in 2014, which led to Microsoft handing me a fully activated W10 Pro license. That's how to get the next-gen Windows for free. 

There's another method, and that's to sign up for the Windows Insider Preview program (what I was in), and one will get the next gen of Windows 10 for free as long as there's new releases to test. 

Good Luck with the project you want to accomplish, I just found VMware so much easier to use, nothing like attaching a new device on the fly & it just works (if printer, driver install is just like on a physical machine).

To the OP, I say download the clean install ISO (64 bit) & go for it, though should be downloaded from Windows, to get the same version as installed.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

I recommend to let it create an ISO, so that you'll have it for future needs, and then after setting up VirtualBox or VMware Workstation Player, select the location of that ISO to boot from, no DVD has to be burned nor USB stick made to create a virtual machine. The VM software will boot from the ISO itself to install.

If all goes OK, it'll read your Windows 10 COA from the UEFI & successfully boot & run, if it does that & you're able to sign into your Microsoft Account (or Local one), it's activated & good to go. If not, you'll be greeted to a black screen and/or may be prevented from installing with the VM software.

Still, you should get that Dell DVD, while you may not be thinking of it today, you may want a more powerful computer later on. Having the original recovery partition, recovery media set on DVD's and the Dell OEM install DVD raises the value of your computer by at least 25%, maybe more, the more options you have, the better. Very few, other than one who has never owned a computer & knows no better, wants to purchase one & cannot make it factory new again. What many may see as 'crapware'. may be another's treasured app.

So if you're thinking of deleting Recovery (no need to with 128 Primaries), please create a complete disk image first, and create the 3 to 5 DVD set needed for a clean install to the same drive, or a larger one, before installing the Linux OS of your choice.

Good Luck!

Cat

Edited by cat1092, 20 January 2017 - 08:11 PM.

@cat1092:

 

The computer has just been ordered, so I imagine that it'll ship with UEFI & GPT partitioning out of the box.

 

Can't really make that assumption, on the GPT side. I have bought two 2TB computers and one 3TB external, powered, hdd in the last three years, and none of them shipped as gpt-formatted, I had to do that.

That being said, I have always had good experiences with Dell, hopefully they are forward-thinking? We'll know soon.

The OP gets his new pc either today or tomorrow I think (american location).....

 

I recall his original question was ::

 

I want to put Linux on the new computer, and have Windows 10 as a virtual machine

&

What would be a good Linux download?

 

We have established that Linux Mint will be a good approach for him (he does not request multiple linux os's).....and if we were to supply a short concise set of instructions for him to load his copy of win10 home into a VM

My highlighting, above.

Fair call, Brian, but as I said, future-proofing.

Easier done now, than later. Formatting to gpt, that is, if not so out of the box by Dell.

You yourself started off running one Linux and have now graduated to two, but you have separate drives as well. You also went through adventures with eg Peppermint and didn't like it.

A typical Windows install nowadays may see three (3) partitions used - we have even had 4 seen in this Forum and had to advise a user which one to delete to install a Linux. Formatting to gpt in the initial stages makes that problem ( of four primary partitions or three and an extended) redundant.

BTW - there are sources I have for taking an existing MSDOS/MBR system with data on it and reformatting to gpt without loss of data, but I have no experience with them - haven't had the need. But taking such an approach down the track is a case of putting the cart before the horse.

In any event, I have no wish to argue with friends, and this is just an IMO, backed by experience with multibooting and reformatting as well, lol.

Let's wait to see what develops with Sam's purchase?

Wizard

 

 

Can't really make that assumption, on the GPT side. I have bought two 2TB computers and one 3TB external, powered, hdd in the last three years, and none of them shipped as gpt-formatted, I had to do that.

Wiz, every UEFI based computer I've had the opportunity of working on since the release of Windows 8 (which had that OS installed by default), has had GPT partitioning. One reason why? Everytime it gets upgraded, a roughly 450MiB partition is created. With Windows 10, for those who bought (or upgraded) early, some has many of these small partitions, as the OS has had several major upgrades.

It's the major ones (example, the Anniversary Upgrade) that creates a new 450MiB partition, one of mine has three, plus a couple from the 8.1 install. While that may not be the only reason why these drives are formatted as GPT, it's one. The minor upgrades may not create another. though it can't be ruled out that it won't happen. 

Another is that UEFI/GPT goes together, just as BIOS/MBR does. On a BIOS/MBR computer, once the 4 Primary partition limit has been reached, I don't know how it handles any more of those partitions, maybe these are simply upgraded. With UEFI/GPT, it doesn't matter, as the limit is 128 Primaries, of which out of all of the folks I know, you're the only one whom I see may in the future may need to add another drive.

In your case, probably externally, hope that you have an eSATA port on the exterior somewhere. Which in most cases are as fast as USB 3.0, because of poor implementation of controllers (why we'll seldom, if ever, see USB 3.0 come close to it's standard). eSATA is a universal standard & maintains speed much better. 

Or you can do away with your optical drive (if installed) & using a bay adapter for this purpose, add another drive of your choice. And then use a $5 (in USD) to obtain a USB to notebook optical drive cable, making it a portable one to use anywhere. If desired, can buy a case also, and you'll have a better portable then the common $25 models.

About the 3+GiB externals, depending on whom built the MB, there's often an 'unlocking' tool that allows users w/out UEFI to use these larger drives, though being that the ones I've purchased were already UEFI (all three of my own & at least 20 for others), may be for those wanting to run an older OS. Or run in Legacy Mode (CSM). 

Now back to the OP and the Topic, hopefully things are being sorted out. It's inadvisable to 'blow away' the OEM OS w/out a way to revert. Even if I were to purchase a computer (probably a notebook only) to run Linux on, if the seller can't provide a way to fresh install to out of the box condition, price drops. Like purchasing a car with worn brake pads or semi slick tires, and I check things before purchase. Price drops for items that needs repair, or in this case, missing full recovery solution, and I'll test before purchase, be it 3 months or 12 years old.

Sure enough, one person tried to get over on me & failed, gave me a set of recovery media, and I said 'let's test it', sure enough the media was rejected. By the time I was through, a notebook listed for $200 in the local newspaper was mine for $60. I then called Dell and for the third consecutive time I needed this media, got someone in the US who was compassionate, gave the Service Code, was registered & then transferred to me, and was shipped a complete factory recovery disk set at no cost for Windows 7.

Later on, about a year ago, I resold the notebook for $150, and that was after swapping both the RAM (8GB) into one of my own & replacing with a 4GB set, plus a swap of the 750GiB 7200 RPM HDD w/16MB cache (SATA-2) for a 200GiB, 5400 RPM, SATA-1 HDD with a 8MB cache, as well as using the 1st gen stock i5 CPU for upgrade in someone else's computer. In addition to a gift donation, I was told to keep dual core Pentium, which was also installed into the notebook. 

Then cloned the OS to the smaller drive using Macrium Reflect, and set Recovery to Active & this forced the OS to reinstall (special thanks to pcpunk for this tip).

I'm positive that the OP will find a way to install Windows 10 inside of a VM in the Linux OS, even if it requires joining the Windows Insider Program, as far as I know, hasn't been cut off, and get W10 at no charge (Microsoft Account required), if one has Outlook or Hotmail, a MS Account is established already. That would be sweet, to dual boot & have a virtual W10, which I had both on my XPS 8700, will be placed back into service, right now my priority is obtaining a 4K UHD monitor.

http://www.howtogeek.com/224826/how-to-become-a-windows-insider-and-test-new-windows-10-features/

https://insider.windows.com/

Of course, either of the above options has to be established before creating a VM in the Linux OS. I still maintain that if one has the technical skills to get it working, use the vhdx option to mount the virtual disk of the complete OS (after being shrank to a manageable size & disk image created prior), to run in VirtualBox or VMware Workstation Player. One requires a vdx file, the other vhdx, and this option is in the Disk2vhd site I posted on the prior page. This takes some time to complete, so make sure of which is needed for the VM solution. 

That is, if it doesn't install using Windows 10 install media (the Dell reinstall DVD may not work for this). The rules has changed so much in the last 3-4 years, it's difficult to keep up with them all, especially when not using the option. Actually, this PC I'm now on is registered for Windows 10, since I installed twice, may have to try & see how it goes. Nothing to lose & everything to gain, especially if it helps others who downgraded back to Windows 7 due to driver issues, which wouldn't be an issue in a VM.

Cat

I think the ball's in your court, Sam.....

The computer hasn't gotten here yet, but I went to msn, and signed in with my skype account. Would that be the same thing? The computer should be here later today.

About VirtualBox... here:

https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Guest_OSes

We see:

Windows 10 build 10586 (32/64-bit) Works, with Additions,  Requires AMD-V or VT-x.

Windows 10 build 10240 (32/64-bit) Works, with Additions,  Requires AMD-V or VT-x.

I think the ball's in your court, Sam.....

- Sam will let us know once the addition to the household has been unwrapped, fired up, and played with a little.

@Sam - I don't believe the Skype/MSN connection has relevance here, best off following the How-To Geek link I posted at #17, current at 11th August last so should be OK.

@Cat - referred to 128 partitions here https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/636241/cinnamon-or-xfce-desktop/?p=4154666

... the 128 partition limit does not apply to Linux, only to Windows environments.

Cheers all

Wizard

Ok, I got the computer today. I have it up, and running.I first had Microsoft edge up there, but didn't like it.It didn'y come with a mouse, just the pad. I found a mouse from an old laptop, and that works.

 So what should I do next?I did a search, and I saw Ubuntu. Do I download it from there?

Hi Sam

I did a search, and I saw Ubuntu. Do I download it from there?

You will have to tell us where (copy and paste the URL  webpage address) from your browser's address bar.

If it is Ubuntu that you wish to start with, Nick's link to Kubuntu is as good as any, it was http://kubuntu.org/

Download the LTS version (16.04) it has support until April 2021, but will have more updates to perform, initially. The Yakkety Yak is newer, but only supported until July next.

Linux Mint is also good.

I'll step back for the Windows 10 experts to say how to download and install, but be available for Linux help later.

I also like pcpunk's idea of

 

If it were me, I would leave W10 on there and do a Dual Boot with Linux.  Then if you like you can also run W10 in VM.

... but some may consider that duplication, and the VM (Virtual Machine) experts can tell you if there are any licensing caveats (hurdles) to be crossed.

Good luck and enjoy

Wizard

BTW at all: When you have the OP using Windows Disk Management to apply partitions would provide a perfect opportunity to establish that the OP has GPT on the machine, I expect you know the drill.

Edited added BTW

Edited by wizardfromoz, 21 January 2017 - 07:13 PM.

 

We have established that Linux Mint will be a good approach for him (he does not request multiple linux os's).....and if we were to supply a short concise set of instructions for him to load his copy of win10 home into a VM

Exactly.
 

Fair call, Brian, but as I said, future-proofing.

No its just chit chat, stay on topic.