I'm curious about the risks associated with installing an operating system like CachyOS on my C drive while also having D and E drives. If the system fails and I need to reinstall the OS, will it only impact the C drive, leaving my other drives untouched? I believe this is probably the case since the other drives are formatted in NTFS and the OS doesn't require them to function, but I want to confirm just to be safe. Additionally, could anyone offer advice on how to back up my C drive before formatting it? I want to make sure I keep important settings like those for Firefox.
3 Answers
Just to clarify, when you're dealing with Linux, terminology like "C drive" can be misleading. In Linux, you work with partitions rather than drives. The OS os running on your partition, so a failure there wouldn’t touch your data on other partitions, assuming you’re careful. However, the boot partition can sometimes lead to complications if you're also using Windows, so keep that in mind. And for backup, simply buying another drive to back up your important files can save a lot of hassle!
Exactly! It also gives you peace of mind knowing your data is secure.
It really depends on how things are set up. If your D and E drives aren't mounted, they should be perfectly fine no matter what happens. But if they are mounted and the system fails, you’d need to make a significant error to affect them. Just be careful during any reinstallation because if you’re dual-booting, you need to watch out for accidentally wiping the wrong partition.
Yes, if your operating system on the C drive crashes and you end up needing to format it, your other drives (D and E) won't be affected as long as you don't choose to format them by mistake. Just double-check that you're selecting the right drive during the installation process! Also, I recommend using Rescuezilla to create a disk image of your system, especially if your setup is clean. It’s wise to back it up every few months just in case.
Good idea! Using another drive makes the backup process a lot simpler and safer.