How can I switch to Linux Mint with a clean install and keep my 300GB of data (with metadata) safe? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by kingpepe8006@sh.itjust.works to c/linux4noobs@programming.dev

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Hi all, I'm planning to do a clean install of Linux Mint on my laptop and completely remove Windows. I have about 300GB of personal data on the system and only one SSD, so everything is currently stored on that single drive.

Here’s what I want to do:

Back up all my data safely, without losing any metadata (timestamps, folder structure, etc.).
Wipe Windows and do a clean install of Linux Mint.
Restore my data with everything intact—timestamps, folder structure, and metadata.
Be able to open or run file types that are only supported by Windows, like certain .exe, .msi, or specific file types.

I don’t have a second internal drive, so I’ll probably use an external hard drive or cloud storage.

What i want to know is:

1.What’s the best way to back up and restore my data safely while preserving all metadata?

2.What tools or methods should I use for backup and restore?

3.How can I access or use files that are only supported by Windows once I’ve switched to Linux? Are there workarounds or compatibility layers?

I’m fairly new to Linux, so beginner-friendly advice would be awesome.

Thanks in advance!

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[-] JTskulk@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Boot to another linux machine, back up your files with cp -Ra /path/to/old/data /new/backup/location and it might keep your timestamps. Some exe's you can run with wine, but not all of them. msi are installer packages and I don't think you can use those. If those exes or msis are games, try adding them to steam as a non-steam game.

this post was submitted on 14 May 2025

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