Copied system partitions to USB disk, how to proceed to make a clone?

[Liam Proven]

On Mon, 18 Oct 2021 at 09:38, Bo Berglund <bo.berglund at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I assume you mean this blog post:
>
> https://liam-on-linux.livejournal.com/68495.html

Yes.

> I will read it carefully and try to follow it. Now scanned it quickly.

It's too long. :-( I tried to explain all the "whys" as well as what and how.

> Earlier in the previous post with the link to the blog you also wrote this:
>
> > You will have to totally erase the hard disk and repartition it with
> > MBR instead of GPT. These are not interchangeable.
> >
> > So, if you do, ensure you have a working, tested, bootable Win10 key
> > *FIRST* before changing anything. Also ensure you have made a copy of
> > any activation keys using ProduKey or similar.
> >
> > https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html
>
> I get a bit confused here, because the link goes to Produkey, which is a utility
> to retrieve the product keys, the 25 or so character code to validate the
> Windows installation with, but that key surely is not a "bootable" thing???

Note the full stop and the word "also". :-)

To make bootable USB keys, these days, I use Ventoy. I find it very useful.

https://www.ventoy.net/en/index.html

It prepares the key and then you can just copy ISO files onto it and
it generates a boot menu to pick which one when you turn it on. Very
handy, quick, and easy.

*Also*, write the product key on a piece of paper so if you need to
you can reinstall it.

Produkey is safe but if you do not use an ad block, be careful of
deceptive advertisements/.

https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html

> Is there a way to retrieve the installation media that usually is hidden inside
> a special partition of the PC so one can reinstall Windows 10 and then use the
> keys extracted with the ProduKey program?

Not that I know of, no. :-(

> If that partition has been removed as part of the Ubuntu installation and it
> fails how to proceed then?


You can download Win10 directly from Microsoft and it's easier from Linux.
https://www.microsoft.com/sv-se/software-download/windows10ISO

> Antivirus problem?
> I tried downloading produkey from the links at the end of the nirsoft page but
> the first zip would not download at all and the second (x64) triggered a message
> saying:
>
> "This file contains a virus or malware that will harm your computer"
>
> Is this real or just Microsoft combatting tools making data extraction possible
> on Windows?

I have used it a lot and it is safe. I suppose it might be a bit of
Microsoft sabotage!

> I *could* use wget to download them both on Ubuntu, but are they safe to use (I
> presume I will use the one labeled x64)?

You can download the Win10 ISO and Ventoy on Ubuntu, yes.

ProduKey won't work but Ubuntu may be able to tell you the firmware Windows key:

https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/linux-find-windows-10-oem-product-key-command/

ProduKey is easier, though!

> Comment on your blogpost:
> -------------------------
> You write:
> "Once it's done, if it's still there, in Linux you can delete C:\HIBERFIL.SYS."
> and
> "Boot off a Linux medium, and as described above, delete C:\PAGEFILE.SYS,
> C:\SWAPFILE.SYS and C:\HIBERFIL.SYS."
>
> But when you are in Linux, how can you even see a C:\ drive, let alone modify or
> delete files there?

Just click on the Windows partition in your file manager?

> At this stage you are booted to Linux live session from the linux install media,
> how can you then access the Windows drives? I thought that the live session did
> not mount anything from the system drives...

It does if you click on them. FAT32 or NTFS should not matter.

This is how I clean the junk off Windows PCs.

The one thing it is not good for is the special magic "WINDOWS.OLD"
partition left behind when you do a Win10 version upgrade. I think
this contains NTFS hard-linked files and Linux can't delete it. That
is why I recommend Windows' own "Disk Cleanup" tool.


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