I have a 10-year-old laptop currently running Windows, and I want to switch to Linux Mint. The laptop has two drives: an SSD with Windows installed and an HDD that has some Windows backup data. When I transition to Linux Mint, how do I delete the data on the HDD? Will I be able to access both drives after the switch? Also, if I decide to go back to Windows later, will my Windows key still work if I remove Windows from my laptop?
1 Answer
You can definitely manage files and partitions using Linux. If your hardware is from 2015 or later, the Windows activation key is usually stored in the BIOS/UEFI, so that should be fine. If you're concerned, there are tools available that can help you retrieve the key before you wipe anything!
Just a heads up, everything consumer past 2011 typically uses UEFI. So, it's pretty standard now.