Currently running Manjaro, trying to reinstall Windows

Hi. I’m a college student who is sometimes required to take tests online. Pearsons online lockdown browser, which unfortunately doesn’t have a Linux version, is a necessary product that I need to be able to use. As such, I have to reinstall Windows, so that I don’t get expelled from my College when I run it in a VM and have to argue whether or not I cheated when doing so.

One problem, I have no idea how to do so. The results of lsblk are this

loop0    7:0    0     4K  1 loop /var/lib/snapd/snap/bare/5
loop1    7:1    0    20K  1 loop /var/lib/snapd/snap/hello-world/29
loop2    7:2    0  55.6M  1 loop /var/lib/snapd/snap/core18/2538
loop3    7:3    0  91.7M  1 loop /var/lib/snapd/snap/gtk-common-themes/1535
loop4    7:4    0 164.8M  1 loop /var/lib/snapd/snap/gnome-3-28-1804/161
loop5    7:5    0   114M  1 loop /var/lib/snapd/snap/core/13425
sda      8:0    0 476.9G  0 disk 
├─sda1   8:1    0   300M  0 part /boot/efi
├─sda2   8:2    0 463.9G  0 part /
└─sda3   8:3    0  12.8G  0 part [SWAP]
sdb      8:16   1 119.5G  0 disk 
└─sdb1   8:17   1 119.5G  0 part

I want to make free space on sda2, around maybe 150 gigs, and then reinstall windows on that. If I’m required to dual boot anyway, might as well stop using wine and windows VM’s, right?

Anyways, I’d appreciate help for the entire process. I think that I have to use a live usb running gparted to try and make free space on sda2 and then make a partition that is ntfs, and I’m pretty sure that I need a live usb that is running windows which will install on the newly made partition, but I need a pretty structured set of steps before going on, and I’m pretty sure I’m missing like 50 steps. I CANNOT MESS THIS UP, as this is the only laptop I have access to, and bricking it means I would fail this year by default.

I appreciate all your help in advance, and look forward to your responses.

format your output of lsblk by ``` not `

this result

NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS 
loop0 7:0 0 4K 1 loop /var/lib/snapd/snap/bare/5 
loop1 7:1 0 20K 1 loop /var/lib/snapd/snap/hello-world/29 loop2 7:2 0 55.6M 
loop /var/lib/snapd/snap/core18/2538 loop3 7:3 0 91.7M 
loop /var/lib/snapd/snap/gtk-common-themes/1535 loop4 7:4 0 164.8M 
loop /var/lib/snapd/snap/gnome-3-28-1804/161 loop5 7:5 0 114M 
loop /var/lib/snapd/snap/core/13425 sda 8:0 0 476.9G 
disk ├─sda1 8:1 0 300M 0 part /boot/efi 
     ├─sda2 8:2 0 463.9G 0 part 
   / └─sda3 8:3 0 12.8G 0 part 
[SWAP] sdb 8:16 1 119.5G 0 
disk └─sdb1 8:17 1 119.5G 0 part

can you check inxi -Fza and report what are
sda disk and sdb disk

also precise which one are VM disk

there are many things to do , to get dual windows and linux

  1. if possible backup your data is very important
  2. if you install windows , it will breaks all others os disks - partitions
  3. have you enough time for that ?

first soluce will be :

  • remove this huge swap ( 119Go … ) from sdb
  • remove if possible link sda , for install windows
  • install on sdb windows

if you install windows on sdb , sda will get disk partition damaged by windows

be aware that option UEFI motherboard will not be the same to boot windows / linux , create a profile if possible

your / is to small (12Go) you should use 30 to 50Go

the other way is :

  1. backup your data ,
  2. install windows ( check size with update 120Go ? )
    it will use EFI / recovery / ntfs parittion ( keep free partitions for linux )
  3. then re installs linux after

Sdb is my external USB. I have 12 gigs allocated for swap and 12 Gigs for ram. My / folder has 400 gigs of space.

Also, I am on a laptop.

Resizing Manjaro is a good way to accomplish it. Its not a good idea to resize a mounted partition, especially one that holds the working OS. Backup important files. Boot into a manjaro install media. Use gparted to resize the partition. Do it before bed as it will likely take a long time to accomplish.

have you solved the problem? Im trying to reinstall linux as well and its such a pain for me, actually

Hi. I’m a college student who is sometimes required to take tests online. Pearsons online lockdown browser, which unfortunately doesn’t have a Linux version, is a necessary product that I need to be able to use. As such, I have to reinstall Windows, so that I don’t get expelled from my College when I run it in a VM and have to argue whether or not I cheated when doing so.

One problem, I have no idea how to do so. The results of lsblk are this

loop0    7:0    0     4K  1 loop /var/lib/snapd/snap/bare/5
loop1    7:1    0    20K  1 loop /var/lib/snapd/snap/hello-world/29
loop2    7:2    0  55.6M  1 loop /var/lib/snapd/snap/core18/2538
loop3    7:3    0  91.7M  1 loop /var/lib/snapd/snap/gtk-common-themes/1535
loop4    7:4    0 164.8M  1 loop /var/lib/snapd/snap/gnome-3-28-1804/161
loop5    7:5    0   114M  1 loop /var/lib/snapd/snap/core/13425
sda      8:0    0 476.9G  0 disk 
├─sda1   8:1    0   300M  0 part /boot/efi
├─sda2   8:2    0 463.9G  0 part /
└─sda3   8:3    0  12.8G  0 part [SWAP]
sdb      8:16   1 119.5G  0 disk 
└─sdb1   8:17   1 119.5G  0 part

I want to make free space on sda2, around maybe 150 gigs, and then reinstall windows on that. If I’m required to dual boot anyway, might as well stop using wine and windows VM’s, right? By the way I found some interesting stuff to read on https://phdessay.com/free-essays-on/human-resources/ and I was really surprised that these essays about human resources are useful and gripping!
Anyways, I’d appreciate help for the entire process. I think that I have to use a live usb running gparted to try and make free space on sda2 and then make a partition that is ntfs, and I’m pretty sure that I need a live usb that is running windows which will install on the newly made partition, but I need a pretty structured set of steps before going on, and I’m pretty sure I’m missing like 50 steps. I CANNOT MESS THIS UP, as this is the only laptop I have access to, and bricking it means I would fail this year by default.
I appreciate all your help in advance, and look forward to your responses.