I'm looking to delete Windows from my computer but want to make sure I don't lose any of my important files. I've already backed up the files I care about, but is there any way to keep them just in case I forgot something?
4 Answers
It depends on how you manage your partitions. If you want to keep your existing files, you'd need to ensure that your NTFS partition remains untouched during the installation. Tools like GParted can help you shrink your Windows partition to free up space for Linux while keeping your data safe.
If you delete Windows, usually you'll wipe everything on the drive where it's installed unless you take steps to keep certain partitions intact. Since you mentioned you have backups, you should be fine, but the drive will be formatted, meaning everything will be lost in the usual installation process.
For extra insurance, you might want to physically remove the drive and use an external enclosure just to be safe. It costs a bit, but it’s worth it if your data is valuable to you.
If you’re switching entirely to Linux and not planning to dual boot, keep in mind that this will erase everything. Make sure to double-check your backups!
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