How to swap OSes on my dualboot hard drives?

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1

So far I don’t have technical issues, I just want to know how to perform the procedure without issues. I have the following hard drives right now:

sda: HDD, Manjaro; primary, GRUB loading files are here
sdb: SSD, Win 10
sdc: HDD, backup drive (NFTS)
sdd: HDD, other Linux distro

I want to place Manjaro on sdb (the SSD drive) and transfer Win 10 into one of the remaining HDDs without reinstalling either of those operating systems. I do not need data on sdc and sdd, so those probably can be used as a temporary storage. All disks have roughly the same volume.
Which programs should I use to do it (if it is possible), and in what steps I should take so GRUB won’t break?
Sorry if my thread is offtopic, I might delete it is nesessary.

2

Sorry, not enough info of your system to provide good advice. :crazy_face:
OK, some hints: Boot method? Partition scheme?

3

For Manjaro it should not be a problem, but Windcough-chough-eeek (that system i can’t get to pronounce) will not work…it will error out…

4

In this case, I would reinstall both OS.

5

Previously, I already have transferred Windows from one drive to another with no issues via Apricorn, however, then I didn’t touched the Linux drives. Not that I am a Windows fan. Those mandatory updates are a disaster that overall caused more damage than a disk migration. I’ve found a way to disable them, but still angry about it.

6

I’ll try to provide necessary info.
Boot method: BIOS (not UEFI) + GRUB

Partition scheme:
-sda (Manjaro)
sda 1 ext4, around 900 GB. No separate partition for home.
sda 2 - swap 25.88 GB
not partitioned: 1.4 MB

-sdb (Windows):
sdb1: NFTS 540 MB
sdb2: NFTS 893 GB
not partitioned: 480 MB

-sdc (backup drive for files):
sdc1 “Microsoft reserved partition” 128 MB
sdc2 NFTS “Basic data partition”, 931 GB
no unpartitioned sections

-sdd (Linux distro I don’t use):
sdd1: ext4 905 GB. No separate partition for home.
sda 2 - swap 25.88 GB
not partitioned: 1.4 MB

I’m ready to provide any other info if you want to.

7

1. Step: moving Win to another disk
When you don’t need the space on sdc or sdd you could use clonezilla from Manjaro to clone sdb on sdc (or sdd). Whole disk including MBR to be cloned! After cloning you should never boot with original and cloned disk being connected at the same time as they will carry identical partition UUIDs, not recommendable at all. So, disconnect original disk and see if grub still find the cloned disk. If not, apply

sudo update-grub

from Manjaro and reboot again.

If it works, disconnect the cloned disk, reconnect the original disk, delete all partitions, create new partition table and reformat whole disk.

2. Step: clone manjaro disk
Use a live ISO, install clonezilla (if not on the ISO) and clone sda to (cleaned) sdb. Again, after cloning disconnect original disk, boot into your BIOS firmware and select entry for sdb to boot into the cloned disk. If it works you can reconnect the old sda, clean all partitions of sda and reformat it if you want.

Caution: When disconnecting disks the block device names (sda, sdb etc.) could (will) change, above refers to the disk mentioned in your schedule, make sure to identify the right disk!

It’s all at your own risk, I only say what I would do.

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