Continuing the discussion from Computer not Working!!!:
Ok so after obtaining the ISO file, I downloaded Balena Etcher and used it to create a USB bootable drive via etching.
Now what?
So you now have a bootable Xubuntu USB? Plug it in to your computer’s USB port (if you do this while Windows is running it will say to format it; this is because Windows doesn’t recognize the filesystem; DO NOT FORMAT!), shut down your computer, turn it on and go to the BIOS boot selection (either Esc or one of the F1-12 keys, depending on your computer, try Esc, F2, F10, and F12 first), select the flash drive from the boot menu (it will say something semi-intelligible to describe the device, such as “USB HDD” or “SANDISK”), and then you’re running from Linux on a USB! Make sure not to install it or that will overwrite your hard drive.
The whole point is I lost windows lmao
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Well once you’ve booted into the Linux USB connect to the internet and browse the web for useful stuff. How much RAM do you have? The whole OS will be running from RAM and if you run out it will crash.
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is that temporary?
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Since you not only deleted the partition but also overwrote it recovery may be impossible but you can install Windows or Linux on the computer (give me PC specs and I’ll recommend a distro, run neofetch in the Linux terminal).
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Unless you install the OS it will run from RAM/USB drive. But the USB drive cannot be written to, only read, when the Linux ISO is on it like that.
Yes i think our original plan was to install windows first, then recover drive?
If u wanna re-read topic u can (I tried to but it didnt rlly make sense)
Possible recovery options:
Installing Windows first would make recovering data impossible for anyone except a skilled hacker. Even now I fear recovery is not possible. Specs please?
Umm well i havent plugged in the linux USB yet cuz i wanna check with an IT friend first before i do anything to make it even worse
Booting from a Linux USB won’t ruin anything so long as you don’t play with your Windows hard drive (don’t click “install”, though if you do you can cancel, and don’t use commands you don’t know in the terminal, and avoid Gparted and other partition managers). Merely booting the USB won’t hurt Windows as it could run w/o Windows or even a hard drive.
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Honestly, if you want a stable OS that will work for everything for decades, Linux is the way to go.