How to install Windows 10 from Linux

Hey everyone, I just picked up a new laptop running Linux, and I’m looking to wipe the slate clean by installing Windows 10 using an original disc I have lying around from an old machine. My main concern is whether performing a fresh Windows installation will automatically scrub Linux from the system entirely; I have absolutely zero interest in a dual-boot setup and want every single trace of Linux purged so it isn't just sitting there hogging up my storage space. On top of that, could anyone tell me if I'm likely to run into any technical headaches trying to install Windows 10—which is probably at least four or five years old at this point—onto an SSD via an external CD drive? Thanks in advance

During installation, you'll have to choose one of these options:
- formatting the drive entirely
- creating a new partition (giving you two partitions total)
- installing onto the existing partition (in your case, the single partition on your drive /dual boot/)

Since you aren't interested in dual booting (using the same disk or partition), formatting is likely your smartest move.
Especially if there aren't any files on the laptop that you can't temporarily offload to a USB flash drive, or if you just don't need them...

If you do have files you want to keep using (opening, saving, etc.) within the Windows 10 environment:

Windows 10's May 2019 Update finally offers an easy, safe, and officially supported way to access and work with your Linux files in Windows Explorer and other applications. ... This will launch File Explorer showing the current Linux directory—you can browse the Linux environment's file system from there.

The May 2019 Windows 10 update finally provides a simple, secure, and officially supported method to access and manage your Linux files via File Explorer and other apps. ... This will launch File Explorer showing the current Linux directory—allowing you to browse the Linux environment's file system directly.

coppersailor28 said:When you're running the installation, you're going to have to make a call between
- wiping the drive entirely
- carving out a brand new partition (giving you two separate spaces)
- or just installing right over the existing one (which, in your case, means hitting that single partition you've got for a dual boot setup)

Since you aren't looking to juggle a dual boot situation (using the same disk or even the same partition), formatting the whole thing is probably your most logical move.
It’s especially true if there aren't any critical files sitting on that laptop that you can't easily toss onto a thumb drive or some external storage for a bit—or if you just don't care about them...

But if you actually have files you intend to hang onto (meaning you want to open them, save them, etc.) while you're working in the Windows 10 environment:

In that case, I should probably go with the option to format the disk, but if I decide later that I want to split it into two partitions, will I actually be able to do that?

Look, you aren't my only concern.

You can create extra partitions whenever you feel like it. The only actual requirement for making a new one—specifically,
'a new Local disk with a different drive letter'
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—is having enough space on the drive you intend to split into two, three, or more partitions.

As for installing the Windows 10 OS, this should be plenty to get you started. Take a look at the various 'offers' available and see which one is most intuitive to you visually and textually...
If you need a translation, instead of clicking the main link for any result, just click 'Translate this page'.

Take this page, for example, ?

Setting up openSUSE:

https://www.opensuse.org/

coppersailor28 It’s like watching a slow-motion train wreck where everyone expects you to cheer for the impact. You can't just sit there and pretend the tracks aren't broken!
Look, I'm going to be blunt here: I really don't have you to worry about.

You can spin up additional partitions whenever the mood strikes you; honestly, the only real hurdle to carving out a new partition is whatever technical bottleneck you happen to be staring down at that moment.
It’s absolutely infuriating when you’re trying to manage your workspace and suddenly you're staring at a brand-new Local disk that’s been assigned some completely random drive letter instead of the one you actually need.
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It starts with the Local disk (C:) drive and just keeps spiraling through the alphabet until you’re staring at a Local disk (Z:)—it's like watching a slow-motion train wreck where one thing leads to another in an endless, exhausting chain.

It really just comes down to how much breathing room you have on that Local disk, because if you actually have enough capacity to slice it up into two, three, or even more partitions, then you're golden.

When it comes to the whole ordeal of installing the Windows 10 OS, it's nothing short of a complete circus. I don't even know where to begin with this nonsense. That should be plenty to get you started. I'd suggest taking a close look at those various "deals" out there—really scrutinize them to see which one actually makes sense visually and isn't just some cluttered mess of confusing text.
If you find yourself needing a translation, don't bother clicking the main link for every result; just hit '... instead.Translate this page.'.

Let's talk about that website.?

Thanks a million, I really appreciate it—that was a direct and straightforward answer. Honestly, I think I’ll just grab the ISO file straight from Microsoft's site and burn it to a USB drive instead. Trying to hook up an external DVD drive with an installation disc feels like asking for trouble; based on all the horror stories I've been reading online, it’s probably just begging for a headache.

You'll save yourself a massive headache if you just grab the latest ISO and run the install from a USB stick. If you try using an old disc, you're going to get stuck waiting on a mountain of updates for hours. It’s just not worth the hassle.

During the setup, I'd just click each existing partition and hit Delete, then just select New to start fresh. You can decide how much space to give the main drive, and you can always spin up another partition later once Windows is actually running. Though, honestly, if you're working with a small SSD, I probably wouldn't bother with partitions at all.

fadedorca66 said:You’re honestly just making your own life harder if you don't grab the latest ISO and run the install from a USB stick. If you insist on using some ancient, dusty installation disc, you're basically signing up for a marathon of endless updates that'll eat up hours of your life for absolutely no reason.

When you're running the installation, you should just click through every existing partition and hit Delete until they're all gone, then select New to start fresh. You can specify exactly how much space you want for that primary partition, leaving the rest of the drive as unallocated space so you can easily create a second partition later once Windows is fully installed. That said, if we're talking about a small SSD, I honestly wouldn't bother with partitioning at all—it’s like trying to divide a tiny studio apartment into separate rooms; you just end up suffocating your storage capacity for no real reason.

That was exactly my strategy: grab an ISO from my old original installation disc, burn it to a thumb drive, and just get it done. I’m banking on the hope that the product key hasn't expired or become obsolete by now. I've got a 512 GB SSD to work with, and I'm currently wrestling with the whole partitioning dilemma. On my previous machine, I set up two separate partitions just in case the operating system decided to crash and burn, but honestly, it felt like a hollow safety net because, in the end, the entire hard drive gave up the ghost anyway. 😵

It probably depends on whether you're running OEM or Retail Windows. If it's an OEM license, the key might not take, but I guess it's worth a shot.

IMO, 512GB is cutting it a bit thin if you're trying to mess around with partitions. I'd probably just stick to one single partition and call it a day...

fadedorca66 said:It really depends on whether you're dealing with OEM Windows or Retail versions. If they're OEM, there's a chance the key might give you some grief, but honestly, just give it a shot and see.

In my opinion, trying to slice up a 512GB drive into multiple partitions is like trying to fit a whole Thanksgiving dinner onto a single saucer—it’s just too little room to work with; I’d much rather just leave it as one solid partition and call it a day...

I'm not going to bother partitioning them; instead, I'll just be more diligent about keeping my backups current. As for how to verify the Windows status, everything was bought at Best Buy based on the PS, and they worked perfectly fine for updates without any drama.

You can tell by whether Windows 10 was already pre-installed on the computer you bought. Essentially, if the disc was bundled with the hardware purchase and included in the price.

In your case, the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) would be Microsoft...

For example, if (hypothetically) Bosch used motors from GE in their appliances, then GE would be the Original Equipment Manufacturer—the "OEM" provider for those specific motors inside the Bosch units.

With that setup (a PC with a "factory" installed Windows OS), the serial number is valid only for that specific Windows OS installed on that exact machine.

(I'm not certain about the specifics, but that's generally how it works)

coppersailor28 said:You can usually tell by looking at whether Windows 10 was already pre-installed on the machine you bought—essentially, if the software license was bundled directly into the purchase price of the computer itself.

In your specific situation, the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) would be Microsoft...

Think of it like this: if (hypothetically speaking) Bosch decided to install GE motors inside their appliances, then GE would be the Original Equipment Manufacturer—acting as the 'OEM' provider for the motors built into those Bosch units.

When dealing with (a computer featuring a 'factory-installed' Windows OS), that serial number is strictly tied to that exact, specific installation on that one particular machine.

I bought Windows separately; my old laptop had DOS, but this new one came with Linux, which I'm planning to wipe out.

Then there shouldn't be an issue...
But it's probably best if @fadedorca66 confirms that too.

coppersailor28 said:If that's the case, there shouldn't be any issues at all...
But honestly, I'd feel much better if @fadedorca66 weighed in to confirm that.

👍

I appreciate you both; you've been a huge help. 🙏

Yeah, in theory, if they didn't come pre-installed, they should be fine. But honestly, some retailers out here pull all sorts of shady stuff just to move OEM Windows, which basically means once you install them—you're stuck.

If the key fails during installation, I guess you can just click that you don't have one. Then maybe you could call Microsoft support to figure out what went wrong and see if those Windows can even be moved to a different PC (assuming they actually are OEM).

But hey, if it doesn't work, it's not like it's a huge deal. You can always just grab a different one on eBay for a few bucks and it'll work just fine...

fadedorca66 said:Look, theoretically, if they came pre-installed from the factory, you should be fine, but let’s be real: retailers out there pull all sorts of shady moves just to push OEM Windows licenses that basically become useless bricks the second you finish installing them.

If the key fails during installation, just click the option saying you don't have one; then you can always give Microsoft support a call to figure out where the snag is and see if those Windows licenses can even be transferred to another machine (assuming they actually are OEM).

And honestly, if you can't get it to work, it isn't the end of the world because you can always grab a working one on eBay for a few bucks and call it a day.

Great, I really hope the process goes smoothly. Thanks 👍

Installing Windows 10 on a brand-new laptop these days feels a bit like shooting blanks for two main reasons:

1) Windows 11—it’s clearly where things are headed, and the sooner you get used to it, the better. Microsoft isn't really focusing on version 10 anymore; while it'll stay supported for a little while longer, it's already feeling a bit like a thing of the past. 😁 It's practically old news.
2) Linux—development is moving way faster than Windows, and honestly, it's a lot more efficient. Once major American corporations fully make the switch, which we're already seeing happen in certain sectors, it’s going to be an absolute necessity. I'd suggest playing around with a few different live distros to see what actually clicks with you.

driftingcanyon2 As specified by darkmason40:
Installing Windows 10 on a brand-new laptop these days is a complete waste of time for two reasons: ...

You're not the only one. Any excuse is a good excuse when it comes to messing around with such a ridiculous username.

@darkmason40 🙂 The Windows 10 activation key is already available, and you can grab the software for free directly from Microsoft's official website.
Let's be honest: installing an operating system can be a long, drawn-out process. It can even get a little stressful.
Look, we’re talking about installing Windows 10 OS here—not Windows XP. If someone were actually trying to install Windows XP, I'd tell them to think twice unless that OS is strictly necessary. But that isn't the case here.

Let’s talk central heating. Specifically, the dilemma of whether to invest in a wood stove, oil, or a heat pump.

Windows 11 just dropped, so I guess there’s going to be plenty of bug fixing ahead. She can always upgrade whenever she feels like it, though I suspect a lot of people might just skip Windows 11 entirely, much like they did with Windows 8 or Windows Vista...

fadedorca66 said:Windows 11 just launched, so there's bound to be some early-stage smoothing out to do. She can always upgrade down the road if she feels like it, though I suspect a lot of people might skip Windows 11 entirely, much like they did with Windows 8 or Windows Vista...

The thing is, the "smoothing out" phase won't really apply to Windows 10 anymore; we aren't getting new features or major updates, just the occasional bug fix before it eventually fades into obscurity. Windows 11 is where things are moving, especially with the ability to run Android and Linux apps natively right from the OS. Development focus has shifted to 11, leaving Windows 10 to become a relic of the past. As for those TPM requirements and such, you can pretty easily bypass them on older hardware, so I don't see much reason for people to skip it altogether.