My storage HDDcrashed today and for some reason, my BootMBR was associated with it, meaning Windows won't boot and won't allow me to reinstall because its drivers can't write to the disc. Booting into my emergency Linux boot disc, I am able to read from the drive just fine, and am removing the content from the bad drive as we speak (a 10 hour process). So I'm glad my PC isn't totally hosed at this moment because I was forward thinking enough to get this limited linux boot. Which has enabled me to not be completely bored and to save my data from oblivion. THANK YOU LINUX!!!

Well, I agree that most Linux distributions are much more robust systems on the whole, and I agree that dual-boot systems can be a boon when one of your OSs is hosed. But this is a problem that can swing in both directions - some time ago I had a botched update completely screw my Ubuntu installation to the point where I couldn't even boot into the kernel or open up a terminal. On that occasion, I actually managed to install an ext3 driver under Windows and recover my Linux files that way.

When I have some kind of OS failure on a dual-boot system, Windows is generally the culprit 80% of the time. But you shouldn't regard Linux as absolutely bulletproof or foolproof. More reliable it may be, but it can still fail.

Dual-boot is generally a good idea anyway, even if your second OS is a very simple one for recovering files.

When my HDD's crash on my PC's which have Windows installed or when I have problems getting files or even transferring files I'm able to recover them on Windows.

So I don't know why paladin181 says you can't do this at all on Windows when you can.

The way I read it, he never said you couldn't recover them in Windows, but that he couldn't get Windows to start and was glad that he had Linux installed as well.

Maybe I misread it, but that's all it seemed to me. :-)

No need to explain it to him. He is a bigot and no matter what you write -as long as you don't praise Windows- he won't actually read it properly.

When he is talking about Linux he can't even make coherent posts of his own.

I'm not a bigot.

Is there a problem with me loving Windows? Is there a problem with me sticking to only Windows? Is there a problem that I refuse to Linux or Mac?

When I purchase a product from a company and a product that I have been using for 20+ years I will stick to that same company and product for the rest of my life.

I don't want to keep purchasing or switching to different products.

Just like how I purchase a new Ford car when my old Ford car breaks down even though Honda's and Toyota's are better quality and last longer than Ford cars.

EDIT: never mind

Why? Any Linux boot CD can access ext. You can even chroot into your system from there.

Linux is bulletproof, due to the fact that nearly each boot step contains some tool to repair the chain.

On Ubuntu people should really stick to LTS until its finalized. Or Debian Stable (-based). Because that way the software is polished and nothing groundbreaking is pushed through updates. Plus the advantage of not being on the rolling - updates are rather rare.

If you're not then I'm sorry. It really seemed to me like you were a bigot.

Why did you say that Linux is not for everyone because you have to use commandlines

Even though you later admitted that you know this is incorrect? If you are so sure that there are other aspects that make Linux unattractive, you should tell us what they are.

You didn't seem to know a whole lot about Linux because you weren't able to give us the "bunch of other reasons" You didn't tell us which GNU/Linux OS/Distro you tested, even though it makes a huge difference -especially considering that you mentioned the need of command lines. You've only had it installed for one month -which seemed to be too short a time span because you weren't able to give us important information.

You defend Windows where there is actually an issue in front of someone who wasn't the one who pointed it out. This seems like discrediting the OP. Why don't you tell the OP directly? To me, your post even gave off the impression that you didn't even properly read the OP. No, absolutely not. :)
But please don't give any criticism that is not constructive when you are talking to Linux users and don't purposefully give any misleading information about Linux to Windows users.

If I say something bad about Windows and get proven wrong then I'll either take back what I said and admit that I am not well informed or I'll explain why my criticism still applies. Please do that too. :)

[Edit:]
Let me say one last thing: You can't count on a company to act in your interest as a consumer. If you like using Windows then do that but don't feel the need to defend them. The money they make off of you is enough to enable them to defend themselves.

That is funny, because your whole argumentation is actually false, except "I'm not a bigot".

" Is there a problem with me loving Windows?" Its broken by default, it has no "execute" flag on files. Meaning data=code. It has been this since very first CP/M copypaste.

" Is there a problem with me sticking to only Windows?"
" When I purchase a product from a company and a product that I have been using for 20+ years I will stick to that same company and product for the rest of my life."
I used Windows from 1991 up to 2010. Thats 19 years. During the whole course it changed a LOT and you are forced to adapt to this change. Basically, its a lie, because I know no internet browser that would run on MSDOS 5.0 or Windows 2.0.

" I don't want to keep purchasing or switching to different products."
You have to. Ask MS why its bad to stay on vulnerable software. Thats one of the reason I left when Vista came along. Paladium, TPM thrown down the throats without any option to choose. You consume what MS thinks is right for you to consume. In FOSS world, its quite different - you consume that you think is good for you and your use case by either steering manually or attaching to the group with same interests.

" Just like how I purchase a new Ford car when my old Ford car breaks down even though Honda's and Toyota's are better quality and last longer than Ford cars."
Cars analogy is very bad to apply to computing. Basically you claim you can drive your 19-year old Ford. Problem is - roads are not compatible anymore and rules require new type of cars.

The only reason I can think of someone would stick with Windows for 20 years is that, that some one simply does not care to search for any better path. If its broken - so must be it. Well, that means you are a perfect customer - you buy everything whats sold, just like in these TV ads.

i don't get why hardware failure somehow makes linux the ultimate savior, but whatever.

Just to reiterate a point made earlier, no-one said it was!

EDIT: Just had to add, however, that there are many Live repair CDs based on Linux, being a free OS, so it tends to be a fairly good repair tool if Windows won't boot, for whatever reason.

fine then . but if i see one more HAIL LINUX! circle-jerking topic.... i will eat a cat. this is getting ridiculous.

Now I'm tempted to create one! :-)