Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

mahdi · 2022-02-28 04:26:50

How can I Create Windows Live USB in Linux?

My plan is to keep Linux on SSD (faster) and use Windows live USB when I need Windows. To keep Linux safe I will keep SSD locked during Windows live USB boot.

Last edited by mahdi (2022-02-28 04:29:00)

d_fajardo · 2022-02-28 09:50:53

When you say 'Live USB' boot are you intending to use a USB device, a pen drive or external drive that you plug in when you want to use Windows? Then it's as simple as configuring your BIOS to boot on USB first instead of SSD.
But what I think you're aiming at is to use a Live Windows installed permanently somewhere in your machine and to have a bootloader choose which one you want to boot. For this you can create a separate partition from Linux in your drive and install Live Windows there (this is pretty much like the Windows recovery partition found in most Widows system). Then just configure Grub. Grub has a loopback functionality that will allow you to boot on that Windows partition.

mahdi · 2022-03-02 05:43:47

Dual boot have the risk of Linux getting manupulated. No I want to burn a portable (persistent live) Windows to USB.

Last edited by mahdi (2022-03-02 05:50:22)

d_fajardo · 2022-03-02 21:55:24

Dual boot have the risk of Linux getting manupulated.

How? In what way do you think this happens? Do you access your Windows partition while in Linux? Besides if you don't install ntfs-3g your Windows partition won't be readable inside Linux anyway so how is dual-booting going to manipulate your Linux installation?

mahdi · 2022-03-03 00:48:02

d_fajardo wrote:

Dual boot have the risk of Linux getting manupulated.
How? In what way do you think this happens? Do you access your Windows partition while in Linux? Besides if you don't install ntfs-3g your Windows partition won't be readable inside Linux anyway so how is dual-booting going to manipulate your Linux installation?

Was my grammar wrong? I mean MS Windows (and its 3rd party drivers) could manipulate Linux installation (not vice versa). It could happen every time I boot to Windows (in dual-boot mode)

InvisibleRasta · 2022-03-03 08:19:39

i don't think that what you are saying is something you have to worry about. windows cannot read/write linux partitions so i do not see how it could "manipulate linux"

d_fajardo · 2022-03-03 08:53:23

Was my grammar wrong? I mean MS Windows (and its 3rd party drivers) could manipulate Linux installation (not vice versa).

No your grammar is not wrong but you haven't really defined how you think this can happen. If you can explain how Windows can manipulate Linux concretely in computer terms - commands, IO, functions. etc, then maybe we can discuss how to solve it but " MS Windows (and its 3rd party drivers) could manipulate Linux installation" is very vague and doesn't really give us anything to work with regarding your concerns.

EDIT: Alternative is installing Windows in a virtual machine.

Last edited by d_fajardo (2022-03-03 08:58:35)

mahdi · 2022-03-03 18:14:46

InvisibleRasta wrote:

windows cannot read/write linux partitions so i do not see how it could "manipulate linux"

On paper yes Windows itself don't have ext4 support, even if that is true, third party windows-based softwares can do that

mahdi · 2022-03-03 18:22:24

d_fajardo wrote:

Alternative is installing Windows in a virtual machine.

My PC is old. Older PCs have less risk of hardware spyware.

mahdi · 2022-03-03 18:33:26

d_fajardo wrote:

explain how Windows can manipulate Linux .

When you boot Windows from hard-disk, Windows and Win-based programs would have read/write access on all partitions reside on that hard-disk including Linux partition (Because you had unlocked that hard-disk)

In previous post I explained about Windows ext4 support concern

GeorgeJP · 2022-03-03 18:52:04

Your question belongs to some Windows forum.
MS Windows is not designed to run from removable devices.
There was available https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_To_Go some time ago.

ewaller · 2022-03-03 20:45:00

Windows is actually designed not not run from a USB. Why not set up a VM and run windows under it when you need to.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2022-03-03 21:00:08

Why not just encrypt the Linux system and keep it backed up? That way Windows can't read any data and any damage it might do can be recovered.

d_fajardo · 2022-03-03 23:25:22

You have a few suggestions here now on what to do and if you're really overly concerned about the issue, Head_on_a_Stick's suggestion is probably best course of action. Just encrypt your Linux partition.
Personally I feel you are too overly concerned. To really mess up the Linux partition requires root access and for me exposing yourself to the World Wide Web without any concern, with open ports, installing unchecked software, etc.. is far more dangerous than dual booting Windows and Linux on separate drives.

mahdi · 2022-03-04 04:05:22

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Why not just encrypt the Linux system and keep it backed up? That way Windows can't read any data and any damage it might do can be recovered.

Only effective way for doing it, is using hardware encryption. Only TPM support partition encryption. My motherboard doesn't support TPM. My options are OPAL and ATA password encryption which both only support full disk encryption

Last edited by mahdi (2022-03-04 04:20:39)

mahdi · 2022-03-04 04:19:11

ewaller wrote:

Windows is actually designed not not run from a USB. Why not set up a VM and run windows under it when you need to.

My PC is old (3.2g ram and 2 core 2.4ghz) that's not an option. Older PCs have less risk of hardware spyware. I'm not an activist. I don't want my parents see I bought new PC because they would think I'm happy (and I'm not)

Last edited by mahdi (2022-03-04 10:33:28)

Ferdinand · 2022-03-04 10:34:37

On the technical side, you got some advice. However, I'd say, for the time being, you shouldn't worry about that - you need to focus on your happy side. It's way more important. I read your method, and I'd like to point out that when all is dark, for whatever reason, you must find light. When you're sinking, you must find a way to float. We all have different ways, and you must find yours. But you must search for it. Misery is down and happiness is up; down is easy, up takes a more effort, but it must be done. Start anywhere, but start. Here, for example.

mahdi · 2022-03-04 16:04:48

Ferdinand wrote:

On the technical side, you got some advice. However, I'd say, for the time being, you shouldn't worry about that - you need to focus on your happy side. It's way more important. I read your method, and I'd like to point out that when all is dark, for whatever reason, you must find light. When you're sinking, you must find a way to float. We all have different ways, and you must find yours. But you must search for it. Misery is down and happiness is up; down is easy, up takes a more effort, but it must be done. Start anywhere, but start. Here, for example.

Thanks

Head_on_a_Stick · 2022-03-04 17:23:07

I'm curious:

mahdi wrote:

Only effective way for doing it, is using hardware encryption.

Why do you consider software encryption ineffective?

mahdi · 2022-03-04 23:25:36

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

I'm curious:
Why do you consider software encryption ineffective?

The software that ask for key and decrypt partition, itself is not encrypted and can be injected with keylogger by Windows based programs. So next time you enter decryption key the spyware would have it.

Arch Linux

#1 2022-02-28 04:26:50

Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#2 2022-02-28 09:50:53

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#3 2022-03-02 05:43:47

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#4 2022-03-02 21:55:24

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#5 2022-03-03 00:48:02

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#6 2022-03-03 08:19:39

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#7 2022-03-03 08:53:23

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#8 2022-03-03 18:14:46

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#9 2022-03-03 18:22:24

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#10 2022-03-03 18:33:26

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#11 2022-03-03 18:52:04

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#12 2022-03-03 20:45:00

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#13 2022-03-03 21:00:08

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#14 2022-03-03 23:25:22

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#15 2022-03-04 04:05:22

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#16 2022-03-04 04:19:11

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#17 2022-03-04 10:34:37

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#18 2022-03-04 16:04:48

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#19 2022-03-04 17:23:07

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

#20 2022-03-04 23:25:36

Re: Keeping Linux on SSD and create a Windows Live USB

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