Arch Linux

860lacov

Member

Registered: 2020-05-02

Posts: 497

How to install Windows 10 on SD Card when Arch is installed on SSD?

My current setup includes an Acer Spin laptop with a 1TB drive
500MB EFI partition
around 500GB Windows partition
and
around 500GB LUKS encrypted partition using btrfs with subvolumes for root, home, and var/cache. I use systemd boot and rarely boot into Windows.

I plan to make a backup of my Arch installation using btrfs send and receive, then wipe the Windows partition, reformat the drive, and restore the Arch snapshots to the entire SSD.
I hope that after making necessary UUID changes in the bootloader and fstab configuration, everything will work as expected.
Is this plan likely to succeed?

I have a microSD card reader in my laptop and would like to use an SD card as a drive for Windows, regardless of its performance.
Before proceeding, I would like to know if it's possible to install Windows on an SD card and protect the EFI partition from changes during the installation process.
I would prefer not to remove the SSD.

During the Windows installation, I plan to create an EFI partition on the SD card and a second partition for Windows.
Could you please advise me on the feasibility of this plan and what I should keep in mind throughout the process?

jonno2002

Member

Registered: 2016-11-21

Posts: 848

Re: How to install Windows 10 on SD Card when Arch is installed on SSD?

I plan to make a backup of my Arch installation using btrfs send and receive, then wipe the Windows partition, reformat the drive, and restore the Arch snapshots to the entire SSD.
I hope that after making necessary UUID changes in the bootloader and fstab configuration, everything will work as expected.
Is this plan likely to succeed?

read this: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Migrat … _to_bottom

as for the windows part, you'll have to ask on a windows support forum

jl2

Member

From: 47° 18' N 8° 34' E

Registered: 2022-06-01

Posts: 1,248

Re: How to install Windows 10 on SD Card when Arch is installed on SSD?

it is likely to work, but:
I would not copy it off the disk and copy it back.
Instead I would boot a live install medium (preferably with a GUI)(depending in where the partition is, you may also not need to use a live USB) and delete the windows partition and resize the Linux one.
That way, you do not have to reconfigure the bootloader(+faster)
For the windows partition: no idea, see above

Last edited by jl2 (2023-02-07 07:54:52)

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Why I run Arch? To "BTW I run Arch" the guy one grade younger.
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V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,104

Re: How to install Windows 10 on SD Card when Arch is installed on SSD?

While the above is a good observation, these kind of disk operations (especially in this case that involves a complete move of data regardless) are always hairy and something slightly going wrong can lose all your data, so you'll want to do the backup and have it and not have to use it to copy back than not to have it in the first place.

d.ALT

Member

Registered: 2019-05-10

Posts: 958

Re: How to install Windows 10 on SD Card when Arch is installed on SSD?

During the Windows installation, I plan to create an EFI partition on the SD card and a second partition for Windows.

Be aware that Windows could install its ESP on your motherboard's main / primary storage if it detects a FAT32 partition on it, regardless of having another FAT32 onto you SDcard.

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860lacov

Member

Registered: 2020-05-02

Posts: 497

Re: How to install Windows 10 on SD Card when Arch is installed on SSD?

I have luks encryption on my Arch partition so if I'm not wrong I can't resize it. I have to reformat it.

I have a backup so data is safe.

Currently I have a problem  with sd card slot in my laptop.
Windows installer can't see it (or it don't won to see)

It doesn't see my ssd either but it is lacking intel drivers. I managed to solve this.

On windows installation proces shift + f10 starts up the console.

There is an sd card but in main installer I can't use it.

I'm aware that this is kost likely a topic for acer or Microsoft forum. I just don't use any of these.

P.s.
I will go with
Key size 512, shall and argon2id
Are those OK for basic home usage? Is it good protection from "regular thief"?

Last edited by 860lacov (2023-02-14 18:38:22)

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,999

Website

Re: How to install Windows 10 on SD Card when Arch is installed on SSD?

If Windows will install to an SD card I will eat my laptop.

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Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

860lacov

Member

Registered: 2020-05-02

Posts: 497

Re: How to install Windows 10 on SD Card when Arch is installed on SSD?

If Windows will install to an SD card, I will eat my laptop.

I wanted to try because someone (random person in YouTube comments) told me that he is doing this.

I may try to install Windows on pendrive. I have Transcend pendrive and Windows treats it like a hard disk, so it could work.

To sum up.
If I do everything I mentioned in the first post. In theory, it should work. Am I right?

860lacov

Member

Registered: 2020-05-02

Posts: 497

Re: How to install Windows 10 on SD Card when Arch is installed on SSD?

I decided to modify my disk. Currently without Windows at all.

In in the process of reinstalling boot loader.
When I do
bootctl install I get

Read $KERNEL_INSTALL_LAYOUT from /etc/machine-info. Please move it to the layout= setting of /etc/kernel/install.conf.

After that there are lines with information that
Created boot/EFI
Created boot/EFI/systemd
Etc.

But I don't know what is kernel layout.

When I cat /etc/machine-info I get
$KERNEL_INSTALL_LAYOUT=bls

There is no install.conf in /etc/kernel

Should I make a file install.conf
Create 
layout= $KERNEL_INSTALL_LAYOUT=bls
Or
layout=bls
?

And delete machine-info?

Last edited by 860lacov (2023-02-16 07:21:26)

860lacov

Member

Registered: 2020-05-02

Posts: 497

Re: How to install Windows 10 on SD Card when Arch is installed on SSD?

Ok,
I've deleted partitions, encrypted drive, changed systemd boot entry and recreated fstab.

Then
During bootctl install I had a message
ead $KERNEL_INSTALL_LAYOUT from /etc/machine-info. Please move it to the layout= setting of /etc/kernel/install.conf.

Co i created install.conf with an entry
layout=bls
I don't understand why I had to do this but it worked.
Please explain me this step.

After that I deleted machine-info because there was only the line about bls.

My system works