I’m finally planning to shift my primary PC to Linux in the coming week. I want to ensure all of my data from Windows be transferred to Linux, including my personal files and application data, even if there is no native support in Linux to access it.

For context, my setup has become untidy over the years; I have two partitions :C & :D and stored personal data in each partition, plus I have created directories of my own in several odd locations which I cannot recall but they also contain some critical files. I only have a single NVMe SSD installed that is almost out of space so I cannot dualboot, although I can make use of an external HDD during the transfer. I’ve already had some experience in Linux by installing it in another PC immediately after purchasing it.

Is there some way to automatically prepare all my data in Windows for transfer into Linux directly or in a backup drive accessible in Linux? Please don’t tell me I have to copy and paste all files by hand because given the criticality of the stored data I would rather stay in Windows than risking data loss.

  • JASN_DE@feddit.org
    30·
    1 day ago

    given the criticality of the stored data I would rather stay in Windows than risking data loss.

    That’s what a solid backup strategy is there for. Which has nothing to do with the OS, so get into it.

    • enchantedgoldapple@sopuli.xyzOP
      11·
      1 day ago

      My only viable backup strategy for Windows so far is to use the File History option in the Control Panel to create incremental backups of my system. There are two issues with this approach with regard to using it for migration:

      1. Not all directories to be backed up are accounted for. I’ve set the backup so that only the most important files in the default directories are saved in case something happens to the system. I could consider manually including the missing entries if not for the second issue:
      2. The backups can only be read within the File History menu. The backups themselves are stored in a semi-gibberish manner so it is impractical for me to have it read in Linux, unless there is already a solution for it. Otherwise these backups force me to continue using Windows.

      I understand the importance of backups and regularly practice doing so, even if not to the fullest extent. However this scenario is different, where I am actively migrating all my data to a different platform. I need to make sure no data is left behind in the process, including data that I normally don’t back up separately, like user configuration for applications or game saves.

      What I am looking for is a program that readily makes my Windows data ready for migration to Linux by fetching the files from directories where user data and application data is stored and stores it in a platform-agnostic manner in some external location.

      • SpacePirate@lemmy.ml
        17·
        1 day ago

        I understand the importance of backups and regularly practice doing so, even if not to the fullest extent.

        File history is not a backup, and certainly not a backup strategy. If your data truly is critical, which given your lengthy post explaining how far you’re going towards not backing up your data, look at 3-2-1, then reassess how critical your data is. At a minimum, you should have an offline copy on another disk, and not just a volume shadow copy.

        • enchantedgoldapple@sopuli.xyzOP
          14·
          1 day ago

          Despite the poor name, File History is actually a legitimate backup solution offered by Windows.

          https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/backup-and-restore-with-file-history-7bf065bf-f1ea-0a78-c1cf-7dcf51cc8bfc

          I’m stating that the vendor lock-in nature of this backup prevents me from directly importing this backup from Windows to Linux.

          I think I have misued the word ‘critical’ in my comment. I wish to correct it by stating I simply have documents and photos important to me that I wish to preserve like any other person. It’s just that I am not in a financial situation to keep three separate copies of my data, excluding the hard drive I’m lending only for the migration.

          I also want to state that I am not looking for a backup solution in this post. I simply wish to transfer my files from Windows to Linux and was hoping for a tool to automate the process of doing so.

          • HelloRoot@lemy.lolEnglish
            11·
            21 hours ago

            We know you’re not looking for a backup solution. But at least I fucked up by being in the same situation as you a long time ago and it resulted in hours of agony over lost project files, personal photos and months of restoring access to hundreds of accouns. Trust me, you don’t want to go through that.

            What happens with your data and backup if:

            • your drive dies?
            • someone breaks in and steals the pc?
            • your house burns down?

            How will file history help you get back those files?

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backup#3-2-1_Backup_Rule

            The idea that a minimal backup solution should include 3 copies of the data, stored on 2 different types of storage media, and one copy should be kept offsite, in a remote location