My Windows 7 just crashed to a point where it can't even load a system image to restore itself...
I am so so stuck... pushed me over the edge and want to change my system to Linux ---- use Windows as a 'program' not my OS...

I want to take everything off my current hardrives, via Windows...... save them to an external (files and games etc)
My main concern is that ... will Linux completely replace Windows for me and will all my stuff still work via Linux...
I have no doubt that Linux is a better OS than Windows...
but I still want to be able access all my 'Windows' files (a lot of work done the past 10yrs on Windows-based software) and play games (with save files loading etc?) - - -which version of Linux will best suit me? I am not a complete dunce when it comes to computers, but I am visually capable... not a programmer...

Wine, VMWare etc... Basically able to do anything through Linux... running Windows as a programme right???

Please help
much appreciated

J

Windows programs will not run under Linux natively. You may be able to run your games with Wine, but there will be no guarantee. Even if you use VMware to virtualize your Windows you will not be able to play new games with it.
My opinion: If you want to run Windows software use Windows. You may be able to replace many programs with Linux counterparts. I personally tried to go that path (running all my games with linux), but it didn't work for all games, so I reverted back to have a dual-boot setup, Windows for gaming, Linux for everything else.

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most software is multi-os or has an open source alternative.
the only major issue will be the games... certain commercial games dont run natively in linux.
(you can try wine to various degrees of success... my issues with virtualization (qemu) was that the vm did not recognize my graphics adapter so i had no 3-d support for games, ymmv).

some mainstream game publishers make linux, windows, mac versions for things like quake 4, unreal tournament 2007, counterstrike...
but for anything else it will be hard.

one more suggestion would be to play linux based games. i hear good reviews for americas army and true combat:elite.