Switching from OS X to Win 7

[mahdulator]

Recently, my Quad G5 mac fried (power pc chipset) and I'm building a new Windows 7 system. I'm trying to figure out the best and fastest way to move all the data from my OS X drives (1 500 gb with files/apps, 1 1 tb with files, 1 external 1 tb with files) on to newly formatted Windows 7 drives.

Furthermore, I would like to install Win 7 on the 500 gb.

My initial thought is to boot the new, fresh system from a Linux disk and move all the files within Linux. Something like this:
In Linux:

1. Move all the files I want to keep from the 500gb on to the 1tb, then format the 500 gb for Win 7.

2. Move all files from old 1tb to new, clean 1 tb

3. Format old 1 tb

At this point, I should be ready to install Win 7 on the 500gb, and have a properly formatted 1 tb with my old files and a clean, formatted 1 tb.

I have no experience with Linux, but it is my understanding that I can mount any/all disks in Linux in order to do the file management and transfer that I need to do.

A few last thoughts...the Mac was the only only I had owned since my Apple IIc so I'm not a stranger to Windows by any means. That is to say, I'm not an overly ignorant mac user jumping in over his head. However, I have not used Windows 7 at all.

So...any thoughts?

1. Can Linux do what I think it can?
2. Is this a good idea for a workflow?
3. Do I even need Linux to do this?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Ijack]

See my reply in the Linux forum.

 

[xrodney]

Its all question about what filesystem is on disk you have data.
Its most likely you will be able to do this from windows in worst case using some tools to do it.

 

[Ijack]

Its most likely you will be able to do this from windows in worst case using some tools to do it.

Catch-22! First Windows has to be installed, which means repartitioning one of the disks (and setting it up to use the Windows partitioning scheme rather than the Mac one).

 

[mi1ez]

Sounds like a linux liveCD is just what you need, just make sure you're careful about formating the right disk at the right time!

From what you've described, this sounds like the simplest (although potentially quite time consuming) way of doing it, and most linux distros should be easily up to this.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.