[ale] If you must restore a windows computer, how do you make it better?

[Richard Bronosky]

## Please include this in replies. The OP is requesting that we refrain from
## the use of cryptic L33t H at xx0r anti-MSFT-isms.

My MiL had a hard drive failure in her Dell windows media center
machine. (which does not have a tuner card and serves not media center
purpose, but the Dell sales person up-sold her) I have recovered the
data using my Linux desktop and a drive dock. I now must consider what
to do with the bones.

She will not use anything other than windows. End of story. Moving on.

I would like to put a Linux based virtualization solution underneath
so that I can have snapshots and recovery options in the future. I
have already discussed, on this list, my love for Xen. However, I
think that my experience with Xen offers very little to this task.
What I do know is:
* She doesn't want to dual boot Linux and learn to love it. Seriously.
This will only bring iL pain.
* I don't want her hitting some key combination and ending up at a
Linux terminal or GUI

I [think I] know that I want to have all of the user directories on
another partition so that I can restore the OS partition and leave the
user data intact. But, I don't know what other considerations there
are.

If you had to install windows for someone [how] would you try to make
it better with Linux under the hood?

(Please be aware, I know nothing about Windows>98.)

-- 
.!# RichardBronosky #!.