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I have this situation:

My laptop fan is gone and I couldn't find any immediate replacement here in India. Service center guys are asking for 45 days duration to resolve the issue.

I can't afford to lose any data, installed applications (Theano, Python, Moses etc), and configuration. I have another PC with Windows 10 installed in it. I would like to ask If there is any way to clone the entire Ubuntu system (Partition containing Ubuntu) to an HDD and then install it on my PC (which is running on windows) and continue doing my work as I was doing on my laptop. I know something about Norton Ghost but don't know whether it will work with ubuntu especially dual boot.

PS: If dual boot with Windows 10 PC is not possible, I can manage to clean Windows and then clone Ubuntu.

NOTE: If I don't run any intense code, laptop works for around 1.5 hours before shutting down

EDIT: My question resembles with How do I move (copy) my entire Ubuntu system to a different hard disk? but after copying the partition using Gparted how do I perform dual boot?

Thank you very much even if you are just reading about this dumb situation!!

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ObiWan
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    Possible duplicate of How do I move (copy) my entire Ubuntu system to a different hard disk? – M. Becerra Mar 01 '17 at 13:42
  • @M.Becerra Yes It surely does. I have edited the question, please see If you can help. – ObiWan Mar 01 '17 at 13:47
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    You could do it using a virtual machine on your PC. Set up virtualbox on your Windows PC, then clone your existing installation with Clonezilla. Install the clone into virtualbox. This IMHO is the safest way to proceed with very little risk to your Windows PC. – Organic Marble Mar 01 '17 at 13:52
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    Since the hard drive is not failing, you might simply think about removing it from the laptop and hooking it into your desktop PC. For running the two OS with dual boot option you'll have to make sure where to put the boot loader (better use the linux HD) and update your grub accordingly. Alternatively the laptop HD could be hooked with a usb-adapter and then use the bios to boot from USB. Slower but might be enough (esp. with USB 3). – FelixJN Mar 01 '17 at 13:52
  • Is Windows 10 UEFI with gpt partitioning. And is older Ubuntu system UEFI or BIOS with MBR partitioning. You cannot copy MBR partitions to gpt. But can copy all the data. Probably then easier to just do a new install and restore, applications, /home and perhaps some of /etc. Just like you would if you have to restore from your backup. – oldfred Mar 01 '17 at 15:29
  • @oldfred Windows 10: Partitioning: MBR, BIOS mode: Legacy & Linux: Partitioning: GPT, BIOS mode: UEFI. I think it is messed up now. What do you suggest? – ObiWan Mar 01 '17 at 16:01
  • @Fiximan Thanks for the suggestion but I do not have the required equipment's & that PC is given by our University authorities. They won't let me do this. Sorry I didn't mention that. – ObiWan Mar 01 '17 at 16:04
  • @OrganicMarble By your method, I will be able to run my Ubuntu system within Windows using the Virtual box. Not dual boot, right? – ObiWan Mar 01 '17 at 16:06
  • That's right. Lots of guides for this on the internet if you google. – Organic Marble Mar 01 '17 at 16:51
  • I do not understand boot modes? Windows in UEFI mode only boots from gpt partitioned drive. Windows in BIOS mode only boots from MBR(msdos) partitioned drive. And UEFI and BIOS are not compatible. Once you start booting in one mode from UEFI boot menu, you cannot switch to another boot mode. If system is University property, you may not even be allowed to modify it?? – oldfred Mar 01 '17 at 16:51
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    @OrganicMarble Okay. I will try this if other thin doesn't goes well. Thanks :) – ObiWan Mar 01 '17 at 17:04
  • @oldfred Yeah I figured it out from your first comment. In the meantime, I have backed up data from Windows and re-installed it with UEFI & GPT partitioning. What can we do now? Now Windows & Ubuntu both has UEFI and GPT. – ObiWan Mar 01 '17 at 17:05
  • @oldfred I can modify the software as I just did. But they don't allow opening the cabinet n removing the hard disk and all. Some shitty rule! – ObiWan Mar 01 '17 at 17:09
  • Can you still access failing system before it overheats? My backup includes list of all installed apps, settings in /etc I manually edit, /home, and separately my /mnt/data where most of my data is. Then I just do another install & restore. I find that quicker & easier than trying to copy a working system and editing configs & reinstalling grub. – oldfred Mar 01 '17 at 18:08
  • @oldfred yes! I can access it for around 1 hour if I don't do any intense work – ObiWan Mar 01 '17 at 18:10
  • Do you have data & list of installed apps backed up. You should anyway. I like rsync to copy my data to another system, but do not consider that full backup as it is not versioned. I would do standard install to new system, and then copy /home, data & list of installed apps from old system. With gpt you cannot copy partitions easily as they internally have GUID that must match partition table & backup partition table. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI & http://askubuntu.com/questions/221835/installing-ubuntu-on-a-pre-installed-windows-10-with-uefi – oldfred Mar 01 '17 at 18:23

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