I've got a laptop with a broken screen that I've been using with an extra monitor, running Linux Mint which has been great for my needs. I recently bought a new laptop and need to return the monitor. I'm looking for advice on a few things: Should I buy a cheap monitor to continue using my old laptop, or is there a way to transfer my Linux OS to the new laptop without losing any data? I don't want to open up or damage the new laptop at all. Are there any options like networking both laptops together or using a LAN cable to connect them? I would appreciate any practical solutions. Thanks!
2 Answers
If you're up for it, swapping the SSDs between the two laptops is probably the simplest method. I know you’re hesitant about opening your new laptop, but if you have the right tools, it can be pretty straightforward. Otherwise, you could boot from a live USB, access your old SSD, and copy your data to an external drive before reinstalling the OS on your new machine.
Thanks a lot for your input! It really helps.
You might want to install the operating system on your new laptop as you usually would. A good approach is to get a USB disk enclosure for the old laptop's hard drive. After removing it, you can connect it via the enclosure and copy all your files whenever you want. It’ll make the transition smoother!
Remember, some browser profiles might not be recoverable through a USB connection. You could also create an image of the drive in Linux, which could be a cleaner solution overall.
That’s a solid idea! Make sure you're using the right kind of enclosure based on the drive type. A sata-to-usb adapter could work just as well if you have that, no need for a full enclosure.
Can you break that down into steps for me? I'm actually considering creating a virtual machine for my old Linux setup on the new Windows laptop, if that's possible.